Shepparton women are facing delays in accessing a crucial step in diagnosing breast cancer, with one woman told there was a six-week wait to get a mammogram appointment locally.
I-MED is the only provider in the Shepparton area of diagnostic mammograms; a more detailed service for woman with breast symptoms, as opposed to the two-yearly screening of women aged 50 to 74 who do not have any symptoms.
A Shepparton woman, who did not wish to be named, found a lump in September last year and was referred for a mammogram.
I-MED Shepparton told her it was a six-week wait, so she went online and booked an appointment in six days’ time at a Melbourne I-MED clinic.
“By the time the Shepparton clinic rang with a cancellation four weeks later, I already knew I had cancer, the particular type and size, and a possible treatment plan,” she said.
“If I had waited for an appointment [in Shepparton] I would have been riddled with it.”
She said it was a stressful experience, not wanting to tell her family until she was sure of what it was and had a plan in place.
“If I didn’t have the means and support to go to Melbourne — a lot of people don’t have that or aren’t aware how fast it can spread,” she said.
“Cancer doesn’t wait.”
In a statement, I-MED said it understood the anxiety and stress long wait times for mammography appointments could cause for patients.
“Unfortunately, extended wait times for specialised health services is an industry-wide problem in Australia, particularly in regional centres such as Shepparton,” the statement said.
“Wait times for mammography appointments at I-MED Shepparton can vary depending on a variety of factors such as unexpected increased demand for services, staffing levels, and resources available.”
The statement said I-MED had taken active measures in past months to improve resourcing, recruiting extra personnel and temporarily relocating staff from other clinics to Shepparton.
“We anticipate that within the next month, the wait time for routine mammography will return to acceptable levels, noting that demand for any diagnostic health service can fluctuate unexpectedly,” the statement said.
“As always, priority is given to urgent scans, which are carried out within a week.”
Another Shepparton woman, Michelle Honey, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, after experiencing a filling sensation similar to breastfeeding and later finding a large lump.
“I went to the doctor in early December — they said I needed a mammogram and then I couldn’t get in until January,” she said.
“They said they were booked out, so I thought I’d ring and rebook again after Christmas — it was really silly but I couldn’t get in anyway, so there wasn’t a lot I could do.”
Ms Honey had felt something was wrong earlier in 2022 but work and personal commitments got in the way of getting checked.
“I want everyone to be aware, if they find the smallest lump please do not just think it’s going to be okay because if you feel something is wrong, keep going back,” she said.
For information about breast cancer awareness, visit www.bcna.org.au/breast-health-awareness