Breast cancer screening

Cancer screenings Active campaign

Breast cancer screening

Target:
For women aged between 50 and 69

It is completely natural to feel anxious about breast screening or worry that a mammogram might be painful, but attending your appointment is one of the best ways to look after your health. Breast cancer can affect anyone, and catching it early—before you notice any symptoms yourself—makes it much easier to treat successfully. Puglia Region offers all women aged 50 to 69 the opportunity to have a routine mammogram completely free of charge.

If you are aged between 50 and 69, your local health authority (ASL) will send an invitation letter for a free mammogram directly to your home. The screening team may also contact you by phone, text message, email, or via the IO app to give you more details or confirm your appointment.
The call will come from our dedicated Prevention Helpline on 080 2442901—we recommend saving this number in your contacts so you can easily recognise it. For further information, you can call the regional freephone number 800 957773.

Your routine screening appointment takes place every two years and involves a quick X-ray of your breasts. During the scan, the mammographer will place your breast onto the X-ray machine and gently compress it using a clear plastic plate for a few seconds to take two clear images—one from the top and one from the side.

The procedure is safe and very quick and your X-rays are checked independently by two specialist breast radiologists. If either specialist spots an unusual change, our team will call you directly to invite you back for further follow-up investigations, which are also free of charge.

Your health journey is a partnership. We cannot see into the future, but prevention today is important to protect your wellbeing.

Documents
Find out more