Commencement of the 2013 Positively Pink Breast Screening campaign

We are very proud to be supporting the Positively Pink Breast Screening campaign for the 3rd year:

Positively Pink is a Mijas based charity and Its sole purpose is to raise the necessary funds to provide education, support and a FREE breast screening programme to British Women & Men who live on the Costa del Sol.

The screening programme is a comprehensive screening process (Gold Standard) that includes a consultation, physical examination, health education, a mammogram or ultrasound or in some cases both and an English translation of the result(s). This is carried out in conjunction with Clinica Medicare, a Nurse led British health centre based in La Cala de Mijas and Dr David Deardon a UK trained Specialist and the head of The British Surgical Clinic. Medicare and its medical team provide their time, clinic space and expertise free of charge for the charity.

During the 2012 screening programme over 420 men and women accessed the FREE programme with 10 ladies receiving a positive diagnosis but all are being treated and doing well. During the 2012 programme Positively Pink spent in excess of €35,700.00 to ensure that screening is available to all UK expatriates living on the Coast regardless of age or circumstances.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is one in nine. Each year there are approximately 41,000 new diagnoses. The incidence of breast cancer for men is on the increase too with approximately 300 new cases diagnosed yearly in the UK. It has been shown that early detection of breast cancer can improve the outcome.  Survival rates from breast cancer have improved partly in recent years due to early presentation and from individuals being breast aware. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. 80% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50 though Positively Pink believes that screening should be available to all women from 18 years of age.

Lorraine Palmer the founder of Positively Pink believes that “early detection is your best protection” and this certainly proved to be the case during the 2012 campaign. The majority of the Ladies who received a positive diagnosis would not have ordinarily been screened via the State screening programme as they are over the upper age limit.  Positively Pink has an amazing calendar of events planned for 2013 and remains committed to raising the necessary funds to continue with the FREE screening programme.  All funds raised by Positively Pink are used solely to cover the costs of the ultrasounds and mammograms, all of the volunteers who run and support the charity do so without any cost to the charity. All administration costs are absorbed by the El Oceano Hotel & Spa.

To book an appointment, please contact Medicare on 952835776.