Who needs to breast screen?
Women 50 to 74 years old
Women aged 50 – 74 are invited to have a screening mammogram every two years.
More than 75% of breast cancers occur in women over 50.1 Regular breast screens are the best way to find breast cancer early.2
Book online or call us on 13 20 50.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women are recommended to screen from age 40.3
Information for women and the Aboriginal health workforce is available here.
Women 40 to 49 years old
Women aged 40–49 are also eligible and welcome to attend BreastScreen NSW.
Most breast cancers are found in women aged over 50.4 While cancer can occur in younger women aged 40-50, it is less common.
Breast screening can also be less effective for women in this age group. This is because higher breast density can make it more difficult to see a cancer on the x-ray.
Women aged over 74 years
Women aged 75 years and over are also eligible and welcome to attend BreastScreen NSW. Women aged 75+ are recommended to talk to their GP to find out if routine breast screening is right for them.
1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2020. BreastScreen Australia monitoring report 2020. Cancer series no. 129. Cat. no. CAN 135. Canberra: AIHW.p.
2. www.canceraustralia.gov.au/resources/position-statements/early-detection-breast-cancer
3. Moore SP, Soerjomataram I, Green AC, Garvey G, Martin J, Valery PC. Breast cancer diagnosis, patterns of care and burden of disease in Queensland, Australia (1998-2004): does being Indigenous make a difference? Int J Public Health. 2016;61(4):435-42.
Banham D, Roder D, Keefe D, Farshid G, Eckert M, Howard N, et al. Disparities in breast screening, stage at diagnosis, cancer treatment and the subsequent risk of cancer death: a retrospective, matched cohort of aboriginal and non-aboriginal women with breast cancer. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19(1):387.
Tapia KA, Garvey G, McEntee MF, Rickard M, Lydiard L, Brennan PC. Breast screening attendance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the Northern Territory of Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 2019;43(4):334-39
4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2020. BreastScreen Australia monitoring report 2020. Cancer series no. 129. Cat. no. CAN 135. Canberra: AIHW.p.
