ISLAND women under 50 will be the first in the south to be offered routine breast cancer screening.
Women aged 47 to 49 will now be invited to attend the Breast Screening Unit at St Mary’s Hospital, where routine tests include x-rays and mammograms to detect breast cancer at an early stage.
Jill Shead, superintendent radiographer at St Mary’s, said: We strongly recommend all ladies who receive an invitation to attend their screening appointment, as early detection of breast cancer considerably improves the chance of cure and the treatment options are often simpler."
As part of the National Breast Screening Programme, all women aged 50 and over are offered free breast screening every three years. The Isle of Wight unit is the first in the south central region to increase the age range, before the scheme is extended across the country by 2012.
Island women aged 47 to 49 will automatically receive an invitation to attend a screening within the next three years.
Diane Adams, diagnostic imaging manager at St Mary’s, said: "We are really pleased to be able to extend the age range for routine breast screening. The investment we have made in the digital mammography system last year and the excellent performance which the service continues to maintain means we can offer this new service for the Island."
• Further information is available at www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen.
Reporter: emailyp@iwcpmail.co.uk