The Fort McKay mobile mammogram clinic will continue again this year, ensuring that women have access to this vital and even life saving medical diagnostic test. The mobile mammogram clinic from Alberta Health Services will return to Fort McKay late this month, and it will be parked once again at the health centre located in the Dorothy MacDonald building on the dates of October 20 and 21. Women in the area who are between the ages of 50 years old and 74 years old can schedule a mammogram screening without the need for a referral from a physician. Women who want to schedule a screening can call 1-800-667-0604 to set up an appointment. Women who are between 40 years old and 49 years old can also schedule a screening but those in this age group do require a physician referral from their regular doctor.
The mobile mammogram clinic in Fort McKay does not charge any fees to the women who use the program, AHCIP covers the cost of providing this service. According to the AHS recommendations and guidelines women who are aged 50 or older and who have no symptoms of breast cancer should have a mammogram every two years. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care the risk of breast cancer leading to death for those between ages 50 and 69 is reduced from 0.64% to 0.51% with regular mammogram services. AHS province medical officer of health Dr. Huiming Yang “Sufficient scientific evidence indicates that breast cancer screening for women aged 50-74 effectively reduces breast cancer mortality. The benefits significantly outweigh potential harms associated with screening. Therefore, both National and provincial expert panels recommend regular breast cancer screening for women aged 50-74. The potential harms can be further minimized by effective quality assurance through organized programs, such as Alberta Breast Cancer Screening Program.”