An estimated 1900 women are waiting for mammography screening, according to Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health.

Secretary of Health Bob Williams says they have an estimated 1900 individuals waiting for mammography screening, including both annual and two-yearly screenings.

The backlog has been caused by the lack of a mammography screening in the country due to an old machine which has neared the end of its life span and is unable to operate at its full capacity.

Last month, Te Marae Ora mentioned that the new machine was to arrive this month with services expected to commence next month. A room to accommodate the machine to be used for the early detection of cancer and other breast diseases was ready.

Williams yesterday said they were still finalising the contract for the new mammography machine.

“The Mammogram machine is not ready. TMO is still at finalising contract details stages with the legal team to ensure the contract of purchase does not have liabilities/loopholes that would be costly for the Ministry,” he said.

The new machine costing $200,000 is listed under the ministry’s prioritised capital projects and is included as one of the capital projects in the 2024-2025 health budget.

The newly procured machine is said to be a Mammomat Revelation for tomosynthesis, designed to detect breast cancer earlier and help women stay healthy, it was earlier reported.

Breast cancer is listed as one of the five most prevalent cancers in the country with 131 cases between 1990 to December 2023, according to the Cook Islands National Health Information Bulletin 2021-2023.

The report stated that breast cancer remained a significant concern for women. Common risk factors include a positive family history, obesity, increasing age, and tobacco use. From 2021 to 2023, there were 28 new cases, most of which were referred to New Zealand for treatment.

TMO encourages women to continue with self-breast assessment which is very important for early detection of breast lumps.

Williams says that despite the lack of mammograms, TMO offers ultrasound scans, which can provide some diagnostic information about the type of lump, such as whether it is suspicious of malignancy, before a biopsy is performed.

According to Williams, this year alone, the number of breast ultrasounds performed to date is 70 patients. Seven patients have been referred to New Zealand for further treatment and management, he confirmed.

The last mammogram screening was held in 2022 where 809 women attended a four-week mammogram screening between August and September at the Rarotonga Hospital. The programme was extended due to Covid-19, to cover the backlog from the previous two years.

Jaewynn McKay, president of the Cook Islands Breast Cancer Foundation, earlier emphasised the need for the next mammogram screening programme for women in the Cook Islands.

“It cannot come soon enough,” McKay said in a statement last week. “The last nationwide screening programme was held before Covid-19, and we’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of this vital service.”