Survivor makes passionate plea for women to get breast screening

A Townsville breast cancer survivor has encouraged north Queensland women to prioritise 30 minutes of their time to save their life.

Lynette Kim Sing was the guest speaker at Thursday’s BreastScreen Queensland’s Pink Ribbon morning tea at Domain Central, recounting her own cancer journey after being prompted by her GP to book a mammogram in 2020.

“I didn’t have any of the usual signs like lumps or pain in my left breast, so I wasn't expecting anything to be wrong,” Ms Kim Sing said.

“I’m so thankful an amazing radiographer detected a tiny speck which turned out to be a tumour.

“Because it was found at such an early stage, my surgeon was able to successfully remove it without me needing a mastectomy.

“It is quite frightening to discover you have a cancer tumour when you have no symptoms, which is why screening is so important.”

Ms Kim Sing said she was now passionate about encouraging other women to get checked regularly.

“Women often put the needs of their families before their own health,” she said.

“They are always worried about the rest of their family, their children, their partners, and they forget about themselves.

“I know the screening might involve some momentary discomfort, but for the sake of finding out that you're okay, it is a top priority for all women.

“I’m especially passionate about promoting screening to our First Nations ladies. We need them to understand the importance of having those scans done just to check and make sure they’re okay.”

Townsville Hospital and Health Service surgeon Dr April Miu said Ms Kim Sing’s story was a perfect example of why screening was critical from a clinical perspective.

“In my role I see firsthand the significant difference early detection makes,” Dr Miu said.

“Finding a cancer when it is small, like Lynette's, often allows for more treatment options and leads to better long-term outcomes.

“It’s great that Townsville leads the state in screening rate, and we want to build on that success because we know it saves lives.”

Dr Miu said the accessibility of the service meant there was no reason to delay.

“We understand that life is busy, but a 30-minute appointment every two years is an investment in your future,” she said.

“There's no need for a doctor's referral, and BreastScreen Queensland’s mobile service travels extensively across the region to make it as convenient as possible.

“Don't wait for symptoms to appear; a regular mammogram is the best tool we have for finding breast cancer early.”

Women aged 40 and over can book a free breast screen by calling 13 20 50 or by visiting breastscreen.qld.gov.au.