Advertorial: State-of-the-art Breast Cancer Screening Unit headed for Limpopo
After a very successful initiative over the last two months in the Garden Route, the Keystone Medical Group is on its way to Limpopo to offer female residents with a out-of-hospital mammography and sonar service in its state-of-the-art Mobile Breast Cancer Screening Unit.
Radiologist, Dr Pieter Henning, says due to the high levels of demand for this particular service offering, Keystone will for the first time ever, visit a number of towns in Limpopo as part of their nationwide initiative.
“We know that female patients in Limpopo often have to drive long distances to cities such as Pretoria and Johannesburg for their annual mammogram. We have, therefore, decided to make this mammography service more accessible and from Monday 28 June, we will be visiting various towns in the province, where both mammography and breast ultrasound studies will be available as part of our continuous fight against breast cancer. Here we will offer world-class breast cancer screening services, performed by highly qualified professional female staff,” he says.
The mobile breast screening unit will visit the following towns:
28 June-2 July: Bela-Bela (Bela Mall) 5-9 July: Modimolle (Modi Mall)
12-16 July: Mookgophong (Mookgophong Municipal Office)
19-23 July: Mokopane (Pinkster Protestante Kerk)
26-30 July: Polokwane (TBA)
2-6 August: Makhado (TBA 9-13 August: Tzaneen (TBA)
The mobile breast cancer screening unit is the only one of its kind in South Africa, aiming to make mammographic screening accessible to all women in South Africa, both private and medical aid patients.
“With private changing rooms and modern, comfortable facilities, we make it as convenient as possible for our patients. Patients have one-on-one sessions with our professional medical staff and provide immediate results. Patients also have direct interaction with the reporting radiologist,” Henning says.
Henning says the unit offers female patients the opportunity to undergo these important out-of-hospital screenings in a convenient and a low-risk environment, with as fast delivery of both radiology services and reporting.
He says safety is particularly important amid the rising Covid-19 infections of the third wave.
“We have witnessed a dramatic drop, almost 50%, in the number of women who came for breast cancer screening last year. This directly relates to Covid-19 restrictions and fears around general health and safety. Many women opted not to go for their annual screenings or follow-up visits at hospitals due to the high levels of safety regulations implemented at these facilities. Our mobile unit now offer these women peace of mind to get screened in a low-risk environment,” he says.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers amongst women in South Africa and almost 1 in every 25 women are likely to be diagnosed in their lifetime. Henning says the drop in screenings this year is of particular concern, given the fact that breast cancer still annually claims the lives of more women than viral infections such as Covid-19.
“We firmly believe that regular screening can increase early detection, which in turn will help lead to a faster diagnosis, resulting in improved treatment outcomes. The fact that fewer women are being screened and tested is therefore very worrying as many women are at risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly those with a family history,” he says.
To make an appointment for your mammogram and breast ultrasound on the mobile unit in Limpopo, please book online at calendly.com/ks-med or call 087 055 0587 (Option 8).
