Routine mammograms

Pat Mravicich’s breast cancer was caught nearly a year ago after she paid for her own mammogram. The 73-year-old from Auckland had a six-centimetre tumour and four lymph nodes removed. A double mastectomy followed.

But many women weren’t aware they were still at risk of breast cancer in their 70s, 80s and 90s, she said.

Her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago and had a double mastectomy, so Mravicich was ‘‘cautious’’ and made sure she got checked even when she was no longer eligible for free mammograms.

‘‘I live in a retirement village and when I was diagnosed a number of women of all ages went to be checked out and five had to have surgery of some type. It [the risk of breast cancer] just doesn’t stop at 69.’’

Despite the Government commitment to expanding the age range, the Ministry of Health said the evidence for screening 70- to

74-year-olds wasn’t as strong as the evidence for screening 45- to

69-year-olds, and mammograms were not free of harm.

Breast screening might diagnose some slow-growing cancers that may never have been harmful, while mammograms can give false positive and false negative results, radiation exposure, discomfort and anxiety.

‘‘Women of any age who have breast cancer symptoms, or who are considered at increased risk of breast cancer, are eligible for publicly funded mammograms following a referral from their GP to the DHB,’’ the ministry said.

‘‘All women in New Zealand who are eligible for publicly funded healthcare will be offered publicly funded treatment if they are diagnosed with breast cancer.’’

‘‘We are taking a very short-sighted view.’’ Evangelia Henderson

Breast Cancer Foundation