1. BreastScreen Victoria
Overview of BreastScreen Program
Client recruitment and community education
Risk factors for breast cancer

2. Overview of BreastScreen Program
•
Background on Population Health Screening
•
BreastScreen Australia
•
BreastScreen Victoria Program

Where can women screen

Eligibility

Results

3. Population screening…
Geneva Switzerland
Set criteria by World Health Organisation with a principle that
‘programs do more good than harm’ at a reasonable cost.

4. World Health Organisation Principles
•
Aim to increase detection and reduce the impact of disease by
testing a healthy population
•
There must be a good chance that subsequent treatment can
increase survival from the disease
•
Australia uses modified WHO principles to guide screening
programs
•
Acceptable screening test repeated at intervals

5. Evidence for a population screening program for
breast cancer
•
studies and randomised controlled trials over 20 years in 4
countries
•
first mammography programs 1987 - Iceland and Sweden
•
now standard in many western countries - U.S.A, Canada,
U.K., Israel, France, Germany and Switzerland.

6. BreastScreen Australia – a population screening
program for breast cancer
•
BreastScreen Australia established 1991
•
Joint funding state/territory and Commonwealth
•
State/territory implementation, local services manage
•
National Accreditation Standards

7. BreastScreen
Australia
Goal
To reduce breast
cancer mortality
by 30% through
early detection
Aim
To screen 70% of
women in the 50 to 69
age group

8. Why do we do this?

10. CANCER IN VICTORIA: Statistics and trends 2010
Victorian Cancer Registry, Cancer Council Victoria 2011, pg 37

11. BreastScreen Victoria – The facts
• Free breast cancer screening program
• Asymptomatic women aged between 50-*69
• GP referral not required
• Female radiographers
* In May 2013 the Commonwealth Government announced an extension to the target age range to 50-74. This
will be rolled out over the coming months

12. Recommendations for Breast Screening
• Recruitment strategies target 50-69 year olds
• All women over 40 are eligible
• Every 2 years
• Complements Breast Awareness

13. BreastScreen program
Why women aged 50 to 69?
•
Evidence shows breast screening reduces the most deaths in
this age group
•
mammograms most effective screening method for finding
early breast cancer in this age group
•
52% of breast cancers found in Victoria women 50-69
•
women in 40s and over 70 still at risk

14. mammograms
woman in her 40s
post-menopausal
woman

15. How do women join BreastScreen?
•
electoral roll invitation
•
spontaneous appointment
•
rescreen invitation

18. BSV Results- 09/10 financial year
• 193,360 women screened
• 86% women were aged between 50-69 years
• 85% women returning for 2nd screen
• 944 invasive cancers and 238 DCIS diagnosed
• 542 invasive cancers were 15mm or less