Northland has one of the lowest breast cancer screening rates in the country and Breast Cancer Foundation NZ wants people to help it expand its early detection education programme in the region and across the country.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ (BCFNZ) is fundraising for a new, state-of-the-art pink campervan which will allow its team of specialist breast nurses to reach more women in the country’s most isolated and rural communities.
Latest figures show the regions that have the lowest participation rates in the national breast screening programme are Waikato (56.3 per cent), Tairawhiti (58.7 per cent), Northland (63 per cent) and Bay of Plenty (63.3 per cent), which all fall well short of BreastScreen Aotearoa’s 70 per cent target.
About 160 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Northland every year, and around 35 will die from it. Breast cancer is the most common cancer for New Zealand women but research shows the earlier it is detected, the better the outcome.
With one-third of breast cancers being diagnosed outside of New Zealand’s main centres, BCFNZ is trying to reach more women in the regions with its education programme to encourage more women to attend regular breast screening.