Women will have the opportunity to schedule their yearly mammogram on Friday when Radiology Regional Center’s Mobile Mammography Unit makes a stop in Cape Coral for a few hours.

Mobile Mammography Program Coordinator Justine Saunders said their coaches are a part of Radiology Regional Center and are equipped with 100 percent digital equipment that they have in all of their facilities.

“It is accessible, convenient and fast,” she said about the coach.

On Oct. 1 of last year, the coach began traveling throughout the community providing mammogram services to women.

“We have done over 2,500 mammograms on the coach,” Saunders said. “It has been received well.”

The Mobile Mammography Unit will stop at Cape Coral Central Post Office, 1030 S.E. 9th Ave., on Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Appointments are typically 20 minutes long and can be made by calling 239-936-2316. Walk-ins are available as well.

“We don’t have enough employees to tie them up for the whole time they are going to be here, so we wanted to offer it to the public,” Debra Mitchell, customer relations for USPS ,said. “We are trying to be responsible for our employees and we like to be involved in our community.”

No prescriptions are necessary to have a mammogram done on the coach.

Women should bring the name and address of their primary care physician, medical insurance card and a picture ID to their appointment. If they do not have a primary care physician, staff will help find them one.

Saunders said a physician is important to identify just in case the patient needs follow-up care.

Mitchell said the staff on the coach will file all insurance paperwork for the patient. For those who do not have insurance, a discounted price of $150 is offered for self-pay patients.

She said those who need help in paying for the exam can contact Partners for Breast Cancer Care at 239-454-8583.

“This process takes time to approve, so they need to reach out as soon as possible,” Mitchell said.

After individual forms are verified, individuals will then be taken back to a private dressing room where a brief history will be taken before the exam is done in an adjacent room.

Saunders said a report card will be put in the mail of the findings from a board certified radiologist in 7-10 business days.

“Make your appointment and get it done,” Mitchell said.

According to Census data, there are approximately 204,000 women in Lee County who are of the age to be screened for their yearly mammogram. Only 50,000 women are currently receiving the preventative healthcare by having a yearly screening done.

“An annual breast screening is a life-saving screening,” Saunders said because when detected early survival chances are much greater.

She said since more and more younger people are being diagnosed with breast cancer who have a family history of the disease, they are seeing women as young as 35 have the screening done.

Those who have family history of breast cancer should begin having an annual screening done 10 years prior to the onset of that individual’s diagnosis. She said, for example, if she had an aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40, she would start having screenings done at the age of 30.

“We are finding more and more women at a young age who are trying to be proactive and looking into this earlier before they turn 40,” Saunders said.