Millie, the BreastScreenNT mobile screening bus, is set to start her six-month 16,000 kilometre trip across the Northern Territory, including regional towns and 19 remote communities, with her first stop outside Parliament House in Darwin.
The service offers free mammograms to women aged 50 to 74 for early detection of breast cancer. Women aged 40 to 49 or over 74 are welcome to screen with BreastScreenNT, but it is recommended they have a discussion with their doctor in the first instance.
More than one thousand women in remote communities visited Millie last year to be screened for breast cancer, assisting women across the Territory to access early detection. Of the 6,000 Territorian women overall who were screened in 2023, Millie changed the lives of 49 women who were found to have breast cancer.
Research shows regular screening is the most effective way to detect breast cancer and improve survival rates for women in this age group.
Millie will be parked outside Parliament House from Monday, 4 March to Friday, 8 March (International Women's Day), before heading to Belyuen, Warruwi, Maningrida, Galiwinku, Nhulunbuy, Groote Eylandt, Jabiru, Katherine, Mataranka, Elliot and Tennant Creek, with a final stop in Wadeye.
NT Minister for Health Selena Uibo said the Territory government "will always look at ways to improve our health services for Territorians – in both our remote and urban centres".
"Everyone deserves access to quality care. This is why we like to bring services to Territorians," she said.
"The heartbreaking reality is that breast cancer is the most common cancer experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and remains the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer.
"I encourage all women eligible and concerned to get a breast screen when Millie visits their town."
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Australian women, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer.
Survival rates continue to improve in Australia with around 92 out of every 100 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer now surviving five or more years after diagnosis.
BreastScreenNT works with remote primary healthcare centres to ensure all eligible women are aware and encouraged to have their breast screen when Millie is in their community.
More information about BreastScreenNT and the mobile screening bus service is available at https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/cancer-services/breastscreennt and https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/remote-health/breastscreen-bus.
