16 July 2009
Avon Breast Screening will be celebrating its 20th anniversary
this Friday.
Since 1989 the service has completed approximately 450,000
screens on women between the ages of 50 and 70 within the Avon
area.
Advanced Practitioner Radiographer, Gillian Clark, who has been
with the service since it began, says:
We provide routine breast screening for women across the old
Avon area. We have an eligible population of around 130,000
women and we invite them to be screened every three years.
It is vital that women attend when they are invited for a
mammogram because early detection can save lives.
Lynette Hopkins, Chair of Bosom Buddies support group and
screening patient, says:
Luckily the screening caught my cancer in its early stages.
After surgery, an intense course of radiotherapy and months of
nervous waiting, I was finally declared disease free. The screening
staff were really great and made the whole experience much more
bearable. I just feel so fortunate that the cancer was noticed
early.
Across the country five million women have been screened since
1988.
To find out more information on breast examinations and
screening please visit http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/.
Avon Breast Screening is hosted by University Hospitals Bristol
NHS Foundation Trust.
Ends
Press contact: Laura Treasure at laura.treasure@uhbristol.nhs.uk
or 0117 342 3718
