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More Women Set To Receive Free Breast Screening

• BreastScreen Victoria receives $11 million to provide free screening to more women • Women aged 70–74 will now be actively invited to attend free breast screening

By Russell Northe - 27th August 2014 - Back to News

· Victorian Coalition Government building a healthier Victoria Member for Morwell Russell Northe has welcomed Premier Denis Napthine’s recent announcement that Victoria’s breast cancer screening program will be expanded under a new funding agreement secured between the Commonwealth and Victorian governments. Mr Northe said the new agreement will see BreastScreen Victoria receive an additional $11 million across four years to increase free screening services for women aged between 70 and 74. "We know that early detection of breast cancer has been a critical factor in helping to increase the 5-year breast cancer survival rate from 73 per cent in 1986-90 to 90 per cent in 2007-11," Mr Northe said. "However, breast cancer is still the most common cancer among Victorian women and it is vital that we continue to be vigilant when it comes to early detection and prevention programs. "We also know that nearly one in ten breast cancer diagnoses occur in women who are in the 70-74 age bracket, yet less than one in five women in this age group participate in the breast screen program. "This funding will allow BreastScreen Victoria to encourage more women in the 70-74 year age group to receive free screening. It is expected that more than 12,000 additional women per year will receive free screening as a result of the new funding agreement," Mr Northe said. Mr Northe said the new agreement would see BreastScreen Victoria provided with $40 million to give free screening to approximately 242,300 women in 2014-15. "I would like to congratulate BreastScreen Victoria staff for the fantastic work they do in educating women about breast cancer and assisting with the early detection of breast cancers," Mr Northe said. "The Coalition Government was proud to support a variety of breast cancer initiatives such as the Breast Cancer Network Australia project to develop a community-based health and fitness program for survivors of breast cancer and BreaCan’s patient support services."

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