BreastScreen van to make first visit to Ocean Grove

BREASTSCREEN Victoria’s mobile van is making its first trip to Ocean Grove and will be parked in the coastal town for about two weeks.

The van, named “Marjorie”, will offer free breast screens, with COVID-19 safety measures in place to protect both the community and staff.

Women aged between 50 and 74 should have a breast screen every two years.

The screens are the best way to find breast cancer early – before there are symptoms and when treatment is most likely to be successful.

A breast screen can find cancer as small as a grain of rice, long before it can be seen or felt.

All breast screens are with a female radiographer in a safe and friendly environment.

A doctor’s referral or Medicare card is not needed, and screens only take 10 minutes.

All clients who screen on the van in Ocean Grove must wear a face mask.

Appointments will be spaced out to ensure physical distancing and to reduce the number of people in the waiting area. It also provides more time for staff to clean between appointments.

BreastScreen Victoria chief executive officer Terri Smith is encouraging those eligible aged 50 to 74 from Ocean Grove and surrounds to take advantage of the van’s visit.

“Marjorie is one of our two mobile screening service vans which travel the state throughout the year,” she said.

“This visit to Ocean Grove has been organised to make sure women in this part of Victoria have access to a potentially life-saving mammogram.

“The vans use the highest quality digital radiography machines to ensure that women receive the best service, regardless of their location.”

The BreastScreen Victoria van will be located at Shell Road Pavillion, 50 Shell Road, Ocean Grove from May 17-28.

Appointments can be made online at the BreastScreen Victoria website or by phoning 13 20 50.