Vancouver - The Screening Mammography Program of BC urges all women between 50 and 74 years of age to have a mammogram every two years. It will send letters to women in BC in this age group during the first six months of 1998, inviting them to book an appointment at the nearest screening centre or when the mobile service is nearby.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in British Columbia.
A mammogram is a special x-ray of the breast that can show breast cancer two or three years before it is large enough to be felt by a breast examination. Aging is the strongest risk factor associated with breast cancer. The older a women is, the greater her chances of getting breast cancer. Judith Pilley agrees that all women between 50 and 74 years of age need to be actively encouraged to have regular mammograms. Pilley, a Vancouver high school vice-principal, learned she had breast cancer following a routine mammogram.