Summary
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women. Early detection using screening mammography can reduce illness and death. High participation in screening among women aged 50–74 every 2 years maximises the reduction in mortality from breast cancer. Some Australians experience long drive times to screening services which could reduce access to and participation in screening, and could delay the diagnosis of a breast cancer.
This report, Access to BreastScreen Australia screening services, shows the minimum time women aged 50–74 from the general, First Nations, and rural and remote populations need to drive to reach a BreastScreen Australia screening mammogram service. In Australia, 99.8% of all women aged 50–74 live within a one-hour drive of a service open at least every 2 years. The findings also show where poor access to nearby screening services could make timely diagnosis of breast cancer more challenging. This report provides opportunities for strategically planned service delivery, strengthened cross-jurisdictional coordination, and increased cross-sectoral engagement. Refer to the Introduction for information about how the findings can be translated in context of other factors.
This report contains a dashboard, charts and supplementary data files, using information current as at the time of publication. The reference date for the population data was 30 June 2021, while screening services were pooled from 2021 to 2024. Explore the dashboard to see where the population lives in relation to screening services, for a selection of geographic levels. Interactive charts provide further details, including a broader range of geographic levels.