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The state of the art AHS Screen Test Mobile Mammography Clinic will be returning to the Ponoka Community Health Centre on Nov. 10 to 22.
The screen test brings free breast cancer screening to women across Alberta with its state-of-the-art mobile mammography clinic. The goal is to not only get patients screened but also to raise more awareness of the need to get screened.
Who is eligible for a mammogram?
Alberta Health Services recommends that women who are 50 to 74 years of age should get screened every two years. They can self-refer themselves to the mobile clinic.
For women aged 40 to 49, AHS suggests patients should discuss the risks and benefits of screening with their health care provider, and require a referral for their first mammogram.
Screen Test referral forms are available online at www.albertahealthservices.ca/frm-20078.pdf.
Why are mammograms important?
AHS states that one out of every eight women in Alberta will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
Screening mammograms can help find breast cancer early, when treatment options are better. Early detection with mammograms is one of the reasons that most women (90 per cent) are now surviving breast cancer.
What is Screen Test? Alberta Health Services – Screen Test offers screening mammograms at two fixed locations – one in Edmonton and one in Calgary.
The challenge, however, is that sometimes getting to a screening clinic isn’t easy or it’s simply too far away for some individuals.
That’s why Screen Test also has two mobile breast cancer screening trailers that travel to over 115 communities throughout rural Alberta. These mobile Screen Test clinics provide high-quality breast cancer screening and breast health education to women who live in rural areas.
Here’s a bit more information about the clinic:
What: AHS Screen Test Mobile Mammography Clinic
Where: Ponoka Community Health Centre
When: November 10 to 22, 2017
How to book: Call 1-800-667-0604 (toll-free)
Cost: None