To book a breast screen, call 13 20 50 or book online.

Talking about the breast screening process can help people feel more comfortable with it. 

Women can speak with their health worker or the BreastScreen NSW team if they have any questions or concerns.

Women are screened in a private room by a female radiographer. Women undress from the waist up and each breast is x-rayed. 

The whole appointment takes about 20 minutes.

BreastScreen NSW can arrange group bookings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women so they can come with family or friends.

The results of your breast screen will come in the mail.

Your results will also include a Breast Density category A, B, C or D. You can find out more about breast density here.

Most women will get a normal result. 

Sometimes BreastScreen NSW will call to ask women to come back for more tests. Most women who need further tests do not have breast cancer, but it’s important to return for tests if asked to.

As well as having a breast screen every two years, all women should be breast aware.

This means looking at, feeling and knowing their breasts. This will help them find any changes.  

Women of any age with breast symptoms, such as pain or a lump, should speak with their doctor or health worker as soon as possible.

Find out more about breast cancer >

Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer don’t have a family history of it, so it's important for everyone to screen.

For women who do have a family history of breast cancer or do not know their family history, they should talk to their doctor if concerned.

To encourage women to get a regular breast screen, start up a yarn about:

• How doing regular health checks is a part of staying healthy.
• Who should get a breast screen, how they can do it and what a difference it can make.
• How a breast screen is a quick, free and easy way to stay strong for their family and their mob.
• The importance of keeping up to date with breast screening (every two years) and supporting them to book if they’re not sure how.
• Getting their mob together for a BreastScreen NSW group booking.
• If you run 715 health checks with clients – remember to ask those over or near 40 years of age about their breast cancer screening status. See the RACGP site for 715 Health Check templates that cover cancer screening status.

We've designed and collated resources to help you promote breast screening with your community:

• Top recommended breast screening resources – a selection of recommended resources to support you in encouraging breast screening participation.
• Practical tools for having a yarn – downloadable and printable resources we've created to help guide your conversations about screening and hand out to community.

Being told you have cancer is a scary and confusing time for people. Knowing what to do next, who might be able to help and where to get easy to understand information is important for both the individual, their family and you as a support person.  

Here are some trusted websites that talk about a breast cancer diagnosis, treatment options, treatment side effects, the sharing of cancer stories and getting further support:

• All about cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Cancer Council NSW) - cancer information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Our Mob and Cancer (Cancer Australia) - a website developed for mob, by mob to help find information about cancer, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, living with cancer and much more.
• Canrefer (Cancer Institute NSW) - a site that helps find recommended cancer specialists, hospitals and cancer care teams in your area.
• Cancer treatment side effects: A guide for Aboriginal Health Workers (Cancer Institute NSW) - a guide to help you support your clients going through cancer treatment by learning more about the different types of cancer treatments, their side effects and when to seek help.