Doctors, advocacy groups call on women to make regular breast cancer screenings a priority

“Back in the 1970s, the survival rate for breast cancer was only about 50 per cent. But now, the survival rate has gone up to 80 per cent. Overall, there’s a huge difference in the availability of treatment and so the survival rate has gone up,” Dr Choo said.

“Sometimes, the cancer is diagnosed at stage zero, which means we can pick up cancer even before it becomes invasive. These patients need to just have lumpectomy or mastectomy, they don’t have to go to chemotherapy at all.”

WHO SHOULD GO FOR MAMMOGRAMS, AND HOW OFTEN?

Women aged between 40 and 49 are typically encouraged to go for a mammogram screening to detect possible breast cancer once a year, with the recommended frequency decreasing to once in two years for women above the age of 50.

For those aged 50 and above, screening mammograms are Medisave-claimable.

Those below the age of 40 do not need to go for mammogram screenings, but women of all ages are urged to conduct a breast self-exam once a month and look out for abnormalities such as a new lump, sore spot, changes in the appearance of the skin, or nipple discharge, said the BCF.

Singaporeans who enrol under Healthy SG – the national healthcare strategy with a focus on preventive care – will benefit from free recommended health screenings, which includes breast cancer.

The Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) Screen for Life programme also offers screening subsidies for women 40 years old and above.