07 Oct 2010
Recently, a 55-year-old admitted to me that she had never had a mammogram.
She had no intention, she said, of having her breasts put in “that sandwich maker”.
That was how she described the mammography machine which she had only heard of or seen in photographs.
I found the sandwich machine imagery amusing, but also worrying. She meant of course the way in which the technician compresses breasts between two plates so that X-rays can be taken of them.
I’ve heard other lame excuses. Some are embarrassed about having to undress for the X-ray – even if there are only female technicians who are in attendance. Another misconception is that the procedure involves much pain.
In fact, a mammogram involves only a few moments of discomfort. If there is any pain, it is only momentary and certainly not unbearable.
In Singapore, the Breast Cancer Foundation has been diligently working behind the scenes since 1996 to make women aware of the need to detect the disease early.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the top cancer killer among Singapore women. The access to mammograms is becoming easier and cheaper by the year.
Yet, this worrying statistic remains: more than half of Singapore women aged between 50 and 69 have either never had a mammogram or do not have one regularly.
And this is the age group which is most at risk.
Despite the ready availability of subsidised mammographic screening, there are still women in Singapore who are diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, stated a Singapore General Hospital paper published last year.
This trend could be reversed so easily. If you are in this age group and are a mammogram virgin, take action now.
This year, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, focuses on getting women over 50 who have not been screened to do so.
So dump all your excuses and get a mammogram.
Log on to the Health Promotion Board website: www.hpb.gov.sg.
On it, you will find a list of polyclinics where you can have one at subsidised rates. What are you waiting for?
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