The South Canterbury Mammography Trust, established in 1988, has been funding screening for local women in this higher age category since 2019, and plans to keep doing so until the pledged government age extension is rolled out.
The trust has been supporting local women for the past 36 years and has already provided 1216 additional mammogram screenings for those aged over 69.
In a statement, chairwoman Jo Doyle said screening for women aged 70-74 was a good example of the trust’s dedication to improving local health outcomes.
"We have an ageing population in South Canterbury so we feel it’s really important to fund screening for those aged 70-74, so they can detect breast cancer early and improve their chances to go on to live many more years.
"It’s one example of the support we are offering beyond what is nationally funded in New Zealand."
The trust also offers grants to individuals in financial need due to their breast cancer diagnosis.
"We’ve provided nearly $60,000 in welfare grants to women in our community to help support them and their families during a difficult time," Ms Doyle said.
In a more recent development, the trust is now funding gene expression profiling tests for eligible women, through Oncotype DX.
These tests, which cost more than $5000 privately, can help determine whether chemotherapy is needed alongside anti-oestrogen therapy and potentially save unnecessary treatment.
Looking to the future, once the government funding for 70-74 year olds begins, the trust will look at a pilot project for screening some women aged from 40-44.
The trust exists thanks to the idea of local woman and breast cancer survivor Waveney Richmond and a mammoth fundraising effort in the late 1980s, which resulted in the establishment of the first community breast screening unit in New Zealand in 1990 — well ahead of the national service, introduced in 1998.
These days, breast screening is undertaken by the national programme at Pacific Radiology but the establishment of the original trust — and many additional generous donations — has allowed funding support for additional breast screening and diagnosis support to continue.
The trust is now governed by seven voluntary trustees, all local South Canterbury women.
Ms Doyle said more support and donations were always welcome.
"Each screening mammogram outside the national programme costs our trust $163 — so we are always keen for support to extend our reach to help more people."
More information about the trust, including how to apply for support or donate is available at scmammographytrust.org.nz
Those aged 70-74 wishing to continue to have mammograms (funded by the trust) should be asked for consent as they approach this age bracket from the national screening programme at Pacific Radiology in Timaru.
Alternatively, they can phone Pacific Radiology for an appointment and, provided they meet the criteria (live in South Canterbury; it has been two years since their last mammogram; aged in the 70-74 years bracket), they can receive a trust-funded mammogram.
