A mobile breast cancer screening clinic will be making stops in Mackenzie and Chetwynd in the days ahead as part of BC Cancer’s efforts to bring early detection services to rural and remote communities across the province.
The mobile mammography coach will be at the Alexander Mackenzie Hotel, 403 Mackenzie Blvd., from Saturday, July 26 to Tuesday, July 29. It will then travel to the Chetwynd Hospital and Health Centre, 5500 Hospital Rd., from Wednesday, July 30 to Saturday, Aug. 2.
BC Cancer says the mobile units help deliver no-cost screening mammograms to people aged 40 and over with no symptoms, including many Two-Spirit, transgender and gender-diverse individuals. About 10 per cent of screening mammograms in BC are performed on mobile units each year.
“Mammograms save lives by detecting breast cancers early, often before they have spread and when more treatment options are available,” said John Lowrie, mobile operations manager for the breast screening program. “More people in BC are being diagnosed with breast cancer, but fewer are dying from the disease. This is in large part due to early detection and treatment.”
Each of the three mobile units visits more than 170 rural and remote communities annually, including over 40 Indigenous communities. The coaches are wheelchair-accessible and equipped with state-of-the-art digital imaging technology, a private examination room and a comfortable waiting area.
BC Cancer recommends that eligible individuals aged 40 to 74 with a first-degree relative who has had breast cancer undergo screening annually. Those without a family history should get screened every two years.
To book an appointment, call 1-800-663-9203. More information is available at www.ScreeningBC.ca/breast.
