By Dr Prathibha Elizabeth Jose, GP with a clinical interest in women’s health at Carrara Family Practice
October is Pink October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, led nationally by the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Every day, 56 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 3,300 people, including around 40 men, die from it each year. About 1 in 7 Australian women will develop it in their lifetime.
Here’s the part worth sitting with. For women diagnosed between 1985 and 1989, five year survival was 75 percent. For women diagnosed between 2011 and 2015, it was 94 percent. Since NBCF’s founding in 1994, the death rate from breast cancer in Australia has dropped by more than 40 percent. That shift didn’t happen by chance. Screening and earlier detection are a large part of why.
The screening check that’s made the biggest difference
BreastScreen Australia provides free mammograms every two years and actively invites women aged 50 to 74 to attend. Women aged 40 to 49, and 75 and over, are also eligible for a free mammogram, they simply don’t receive an automatic invitation, so it’s worth booking directly if you fall into either group. No GP referral is needed, appointments can be booked directly on 13 20 50.
If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, that’s worth raising with your GP regardless of age, since it can change when and how often screening makes sense for you.
Screening isn’t the whole story
A mammogram looks for changes before you’d notice anything yourself. Between screens, it’s still worth knowing what’s normal for your body and seeing a GP promptly if something changes, a lump, a change in shape, skin changes, or unusual discharge, regardless of your age or your last screening date. Breast cancer is rare in men, but it does happen, and the same principle applies.
Get involved, or get checked
This Pink October, you might choose to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation through a Pink Ribbon Breakfast or a donation. Either way, if it’s been a while since you’ve thought about your own breast health, this is a fitting month to act on it.
Book a women’s health appointment with Carrara Family Practice. Call (07) 5594 4118 or book online.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Please speak with a GP at Carrara Family Practice about your individual circumstances.