Shepparton Women’s Health Clinic breast surgeon Dr Ruwangi Udayasiri said BreastScreen had had to reduce the number of appointments throughout Victoria because of unprecedented high demand for the service.
Dr Udayasiri said she thought this could be because people had delayed getting breast screens during the COVID-19 years, but were now attending to their health needs again.
She felt that BreastScreen screening may have fallen by the wayside during these years because it was for women who did not have cancer symptoms.
“It’s just something that is recommended for women, so those things often fall to the wayside, because there’s no practical symptoms driving the need to seek health care,” she said.
“So I think what we’re really seeing is not so much … an increase in breast cancer per se, it’s more that all of the people that have delayed have now decided they need to do their screening.”
Dr Udayasiri said BreastScreen Victoria prioritised appointments for women aged 50 to 74, as 75 per cent of breast cancer was found in women aged over 50.
However, she said those aged 40 to 49, and older than 75, were also able to make appointments.
Even with the high demand, Dr Udayasiri said this should not be a reason to delay getting a breast screen.
“It is still extraordinarily important. If … you haven’t had your latest breast screen you need to go and get it,” she said.
“BreastScreen Victoria is a very successful program. It’s definitely been shown in terms of benefits for women in finding breast cancer earlier.
“So you know, even a delay, small as six months, can be the difference between a cure and not cure.
“So it’s really important that you don’t put screening off.”
And if it was not available through BreastScreen Victoria, there were alternate ways through private facilities, hospitals, or diagnostic imaging services in Shepparton and Melbourne Dr Udayasiri said.
She said people who were worried about the time it was taking to get a screen should speak to their GP or a breast surgeon such as herself.
People who notice changes in their breasts should also speak to a GP, breast clinician or surgeon as soon as possible, Dr Udayasiri said.
