For the next three weeks Millie the BreastScreenNT bus will be located at Katherine Hospital offering free breast mammograms for women over the age of 40.
Millie’s visit to the Big Rivers region started last week at the Wurli Wurlinjang Aboriginal Health Service, where around 45 women were screened.
From Katherine, Millie will continue to the Big Rivers community of Mataranka, where screening will take place from 26 to 30 August.
Millie has been touring across the Top End and Arnhem regions in the last five months, with visits for the Barkly and West Daly regions next.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
Regular screening is the most effective way to detect breast cancer at an early stage before it can be felt or noticed. Early detection followed by early treatment can improve survival rates following a breast cancer diagnosis.
BreastScreenNT works with remote primary healthcare centres to ensure all eligible women are aware and encouraged to have a mammogram when Millie is in their community. Of the 6,400 Territorian women who were screened in 2023, 49 women who were found to have breast cancer.
BreastScreenNT provides free mammograms for the early detection of breast cancer in women aged 50 to 74 years of age. Women aged 40 to 49 years or over 74 years are welcome to screen with BreastScreenNT, but it is recommended they have a discussion with their doctor in the first instance.
There are permanent screening facilities in Darwin and Palmerston and two screening blocks each year in Alice Springs from April to May and August to September.
