The mobile mammography service operated by Alberta Health Services (AHS), Screen Test, will be coming to Stettler soon.
Screen Test will be in Stettler from Feb. 1 to 8, 2023, and residents between 45 and 74 years old who have had screenings before can call for an appointment without a referral.
“Having regular screening mammograms is the best way to find breast cancer early, before symptoms appear and when treatment may work better,” notes an AHS release regarding the program.
The release goes on to note that individuals should “plan to have a mammogram every two years,” or at another interval setup between patient and doctor.
Individuals aged 40-44, or over 75 years-old, should speak to their doctors about risks and benefits of routine screening and a referral. People going for a screening for the first time do need to have a referral made.
One change being made to the program in 2023 is breast density scoring is now being included in a patient’s Screen Tests result letter.
“Breast density is the amount of dense tissue compared to the amount of fat in a person’s breasts,” notes the release. “It can be harder to find cancer in dense breasts because this tissue appears white on a mammogram, the same colour as many types of breast cancer.”
While having dense breast tissue is common, according to the release, it is only one factor in breast cancer. Other factors, including age and genetics, have a greater impact on risk.
More information about breast density, Screen Test, and breast cancer screening can be found at www.screeningforlife.ca.
To book a mammogram through Screen Test, call 1-800-667-0604.
Screen Test is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023.