THE BreastScreen Victoria van will roll into Frankston on 5 August, offering free breast checks to women over 40.
BreastScreen Victoria says that a breast screen is recommended for women older than 50 every two years, to help detect cancer early and act quickly.
Frankston resident Tracee Davis-Hall was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in June 2017, and said that getting checked regularly is “critical”. She went for a check after her GP asked her if she’d recently had a mammogram.
“I felt fine and had a normal health check every 12 months but I couldn’t remember the last time I had a mammogram. I wasn’t self-checking, so I was very lucky my doctor asked the question. I am a lot more vigilant now and I’m really glad I acted on her advice,” Ms Davis-Hall said.
“My family were hit harder than me because they felt helpless but I was in control and very matter of fact about it. I broke the treatment path down in stages, didn’t get ahead of myself and took it one step at a time. My grandson, Elijah, was born two months before my diagnosis and seeing him every day made me feel better, especially during the grueling first stages of chemotherapy.”
Now two years on from being diagnosed, Ms Davis-Hall said “I worry less, am a lot calmer and I don’t stress about the little things. I’m getting more out of my life and ticking things off my bucket list.”
“I was lucky I had a great network of family, friends and work colleagues including my daughters, aged 24 and 29 who supported me through the 15 month process of having chemotherapy, a mastectomy and breast reconstruction,” she said.
BreastScreen Victoria checks are conducted by a female radiographer, and take around 10 minutes. Their van will be parked at 81 Young St, Frankston 5 August – 16 August.
Walk ins are accepted, but sessions can be booked at breastscreen.org.au.