SUNDRE — The earlier breast cancer is detected, the higher the odds are of surviving the disease.
But accessing an early screening is not necessarily an effortless feat for many Albertans who do not live near a facility that offers the potentially life-saving service.
That’s why Alberta Health Services has for more than 30 years been providing a mobile mammography clinic called Screen Test to reach rural communities like Sundre.
The trailer unit was recently stationed at the Sundre Aquaplex’s parking lot from late September to earlier this month for a total of seven days.
As a result of the continuing risk of contracting of COVID-19, screenings were booked by appointment only and precautions were taken to ensure the safety of clients as well as staff.
“The mobile clinic went well,” said Chidinma Okoli, health promotions facilitator with Screen Test. “We had great participation.”
Okoli told the Albertan on Friday, Oct. 7 that about 145 women came through the clinic in Sundre to get screened.
“For Sundre in the past, it’s been between 130 to 175 each year,” she said. “So, I would say getting 145 for this year was great.”
The program is primarily intended to cater to the demographic most at-risk of developing breast cancer – women between the ages of 50 to 74.
In the absence of the Screen Test mobile clinic, rural residents seeking a mammogram would have to find a specialized brick-and-mortar facility in a larger urban area.
“Screen Test also has a physical location in Edmonton and one in Calgary,” she said. “And then we use the mobile to visit other rural communities.”
Additionally, people can visit screeningforlife.ca and click the yellow “Where To Get Screened” tab to determine the nearest facility that offers mammograms.
“It’s not just for the mobile clinics,” she said. “Women can find other options by using the clinic locator on our website.”
Although the Screen Test mobile unit’s schedule is still being developed for the months ahead, Okoli said residents in Mountain View County will soon have an opportunity to book an appointment closer to home.
“The Screen Test mobile clinic will be in Didsbury in January,” she said, adding the dates will once determined be publicized. “And in February, it’s going to be in Olds.”
On an average annual basis, she said the service screens more than 12,000 women through Screen Test’s two mobile mammography clinics.
“This is in addition to the fixed sites in Edmonton and Calgary,” she said.
In 2021, Screen Test detected 69 cancers throughout the province, she said.
“A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast and has proven to be the most effective way to detect breast cancer,” reads a portion of a press release issued by Alberta Health Services.
“Early detection allows for a greater number of options for treatment and a better chance of survival.”
The mobile service was launched in 1991 and currently travels to 122 communities across the province including 28 Indigenous communities.
