Peter Mac partners with BreastScreen Victoria to boost early detection
03 December 2024
From left: Peter Mac Chief Executive Professor Jason Payne and BreastScreen Victoria Chief Executive Officer Rita Butera officially open the new service
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is teaming up with BreastScreen Victoria to ensure more Victorian women are screened for breast cancer. A new screening clinic, at Peter Mac’s East Melbourne campus, opening this week.
The clinic will provide breast screens (mammograms) and initially operate one day a week in 2024, increasing to up to three days a week from 2025.
BreastScreen Victoria provides free 10-minute breast screens to women and trans and gender diverse people aged 50 to 74 without breast symptoms, every two years.
Screening is one of the most effective ways to detect the early signs of breast cancer. Early detection is the best way to improve treatment outcomes and survival.
Peter Mac Chief Executive Professor Jason Payne said the East Melbourne clinic would provide another convenient screening location close to many city workplaces.
“We know that early detection of breast cancer is so important, so Peter Mac is thrilled to partner with BreastScreen Victoria to offer free breast screens for Victorians,” he said.
“Our staff are incredibly experienced and knowledgeable and people accessing this service will receive the world-class care that Peter Mac is renowned for.”
BreastScreen Victoria offers screening at 52 locations across the state, with the East Melbourne location taking that tally to 53. There are two other city locations at St Vincent’s and The Rose clinic.
BreastScreen Victoria Chief Executive Officer Rita Butera said: “We are excited to be partnering with Peter Mac to offer Victorians another metro Melbourne screening clinic option”.
“Working with experienced health care providers is important to us to deliver our high-quality life-saving program.
“We look forward to welcoming more Victorians to our new East Melbourne clinic, and I thank everyone at Peter Mac who has been involved in the opening of this clinic.
“I also acknowledge the staff who will be delivering our service to Victorians.”
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and the most common cancer among women. About 21,000 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Peter Mac’s East Melbourne imaging clinic at 2 St Andrews Place opened in 2022 to provide MRI, ultrasound, mammogram (for people experiencing symptoms) and other imaging services.
Peter Mac is Australia’s only publicly funded health service solely dedicated to caring for people with cancer. It employs more than 4200 people to deliver world-class research-led clinical care.
To book a free breast screen go to breastscreen.org.au or call 13 20 50.