After a record low, women are now lining up in droves for quick breast cancer screenings.

More than 37,000 women had mammograms at BreastScreen NSW clinics throughout the month of May - the highest monthly figure in the state's history.

Bookings also rolled in at an average of 10,000 per week, setting another record.

It is a significant rebound after screening rates fell significantly in 2020 and 2021, as the state and the rest of Australia responded to the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, rates nationally were three per cent lower than in 2019.

One in seven women will develop breast cancer over their lifetime but early detection increases treatment options.

Acting NSW Premier Prue Car encouraged women to keep the momentum going and not wait until it was too late.

"If you're over 50 and haven't had a mammogram since June 2021 - don't wait for a letter in the mail," she said on Tuesday.

"Pick up the phone or go online to book in your breast screen - it could save your life."

Bookings for the free, 20-minute screens had also peaked among Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse women in May.

Both groups are priorities as screening rates for breast, bowel and cervical cancer are lower in those at-risk communities.

Cancer Institute NSW on Tuesday awarded more than $500,000 to 20 cancer control programs in areas including Liverpool, far west NSW, the Illawarra and Newcastle.

Health Minister Ryan Park said mammograms were the most effective way to detect breast cancer early.

"So it's really encouraging to see so many women return to BreastScreen NSW after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Since BreastScreen Australia began in 1991, per-capita deaths from breast cancer have fallen 45 per cent among women aged 50 to 74.

In NSW alone, more than $500 million has been spent in the past decade on BreastScreen services.

Results of a world-first trial from Victorian breast screening clinics in May showed appointments could also be successfully used for brief alcohol intervention, given the bottle's link with breast cancer.