NZBCF announce first Wellington Medical Advisor

NZBCF announce first Wellington Medical Advisor

Radiologist Dr Madeleine Wall has become the first Wellington-based member of the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation’s medical advisory committee, a role that includes advising the NZBCF on clinical matters, reviewing proposed grants and programmes, and assisting with preparation of evidence-based educational materials.

(Mrs) Van Henderson, chief executive at the NZBCF, said, “Breast screening awareness and education is a core element of the NZBCF’s mission to prevent NZ women dying of breast cancer, as is providing practical support to ensure more women have access to screening. Dr Wall has tremendous expertise in this area, along with a keen awareness of the inequalities of access that some women face. I know she’ll add huge value to our medical advisory committee as we assess how we can best address some of the gaps in the system.”

Dr Wall is co-clinical director of BreastScreen Central, which provides BreastScreen Aotearoa’s free screening service in the Wellington region. She works as a radiologist at Wellington and Hutt Hospitals.

“Breast screening has contributed to a significant reduction in breast cancer deaths in New Zealand, but there are still too many women dying,” Dr Wall said. “Improving the uptake of screening in some of our rural and disadvantaged communities is just one way we can move forward. I’m looking forward to helping the Foundation with its work, and helping to make a real difference around New Zealand.”

The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation’s support for breast screening includes awareness campaigns and education programmes around the signs of breast cancer, the importance of early detection, and the need for women to continue having mammograms in their 70s. The NZBCF currently provides cars for health workers to transport disadvantaged women to screening and has funded the purchase of mammography and ultrasound equipment for BreastScreen Aotearoa. The NZBCF actively encourages research proposals in the area of new screening technologies and understanding inequalities of access to screening and treatment.

About breast cancer in New Zealand:

- More than 3000 women a year are diagnosed with breast cancer in NZ – that’s 8 women a day

- 90-95% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease

- Around 350 NZ women in the pre-screening age group of 20-44 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year – that’s one woman a day

- 82% of women will be disease-free five years after diagnosis…but only 73% will be disease-free 10 years after diagnosis

- More than 600 women will die of breast cancer this year – about the size of a large primary school.

- The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation recommends yearly breast screening mammograms for women 40-49 years of age, and every two years from age 50

- The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation’s mission is to prevent New Zealanders developing and dying from Breast Cancer and to support those with the disease.

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