Angela urges women to undergo screening

Angela (40) booked an appointment when she saw the charity advertising on Facebook.

She said: “When I saw the breast screening service advertised on Facebook, I decided to make an appointment.

“The mammogram was really easy and quick, only taking 10 minutes.

“I would like to encourage other women to pick up the phone or book a breast screening online.”

Angela received a bouquet of flowers from Action Cancer’s consultant radiographer Joanna Currie

Action Cancer is Northern Ireland’s leading local cancer charity in that it has broken all previous records, screening 10,000 women for breast cancer in the 2014/2015 year.

Approximately 1,240 women are diagnosed with and 300 die from breast cancer in Northern Ireland every year and Action Cancer is the only charity in the UK and Ireland to offer free breast screening to asymptomatic women aged 40 – 49 and over 70, those who fall outside the NHS screening age range (50 – 70).

The charity’s digital mammography equipment can detect cancer in its early stages when treatment can be more successful.

Consultant radiographer Joanna Currie said, “We are delighted to reach this milestone, screening 1,704 more women than last year.

“The truth of the matter is the more women we screen the more lives we can save. With approximately five cancers detected per 1,000 screenings we will have picked up 50 cancers in the last year.”

The free screening is on offer at Action Cancer House in Belfast and on board the charity’s Big Bus, supported by SuperValu and its independent retailers which travels to 225 locations throughout Northern Ireland every year.

Women aged 40-49 or 70 plus can book an appointment online at www.actioncancer.org or call 028 9080 3344.