The Breast Screening Programme of the Barbados Cancer Society has launched its 26th Annual Walk for Breast Cancer, while announcing plans to introduce a state-of-the-art screening machine aimed at improving early detection.

Chairman of the Breast Screening Programme, Dr Shirley Jhagroo, says the clinic screens an average of 6,700 people with mammograms and performs about 150 ultrasounds each month, identifying two to three new breast cancer cases every week.

She says the encouraging news is that most cancers are being detected in the early stages, when treatment is most effective.