A breast cancer screening day is scheduled for Thursday, March 30 in Coursan in the mammobile. Shedding light on this curious medical imaging device on wheels.
It was in 1990 that the Montpellier Hérault Association for Breast Cancer Screening designed a mobile breast cancer screening unit: the mammobile. Initially intended for the inhabitants of the city, then of the district, the system was extended to the department of Hérault.
The objective is to reach out to women who do not respond to the calls of massive screening campaigns, to seek them out even in the confines of the territories. The screening of women aged 50 to 74 is covered by the Health Insurance Funds, in accordance with ministerial specifications.
On March 30, the Mammobile will operate in Coursan, in collaboration with the CCAS. Next October, the Mammobile will crisscross the Ariège and descend into the Aude, in the Razès. Last December, he made a “tour” in the Upper Valley.
33 years of service on the roads
“In 1990, we modeled the model of Northern Europe on Montpellier. Its implementation was difficult, we had no support from the medical profession or elected officials, on the other hand, we had the population and the press behind us. And today we are at more than 600,000 screenings, explained Professor Pujol, president of the association. The effectiveness is indisputable, the detection of a tiny tumor reduces mortality from breast cancer. To date, the cancers discovered thanks to the mammobile are in one out of two cases very small cancers which ensure earlier treatment of sick women.
It was Dr. Pujol who took the decision to relocate the mammobile. “It is important to demonstrate the feasibility of the device. In Occitania, it would take six. The progressive demedicalization of the territory makes these screenings essential, especially since the savings for social security are enormous, given the cost cancer care”.
The consequences for companies are also serious, and the CCI collaborates with the association. “We support the mammobile, sending letters to companies in the sector as soon as we know the dates of the tours” explained Louis Madaule, the president of the chamber.
The humanitarian association benefits from the help of volunteers from the medical world or not. The readings of the tests are carried out by radiologists specialized in senology at the Montpellier Cancer Institute. “We change our equipment regularly, including the vehicle, says the teacher. We benefit from a state-of-the-art digital imaging technique, and we are subject to the same quality controls as healthcare establishments. We have invested heavily in IT for the reading of the negatives with adapted reading consoles and digital archiving for the backup of the negatives”. 33 years of innovation in the field at the service of women.