What is Breast Screening?

• Breast Screening (Mammography) is an x-ray examination of the breasts.
• Breast screening can show breast cancers at an early stage, when they are too small for you or your doctor to see or feel.
• A mammogram takes a few minutes and involves a tiny dose of radiation, so the risk to your health is very small.
• Your whole visit to the breast screening unit should take about half an hour.

The Mammogram

A Mammogram is a low dose x-ray. Each breast is placed in turn on the x-ray machine and gently but firmly compressed with a clear plate. Compression is needed to keep the breast still and get clearest picture with the lowest amount of radiation possible.

What does the NHS Breast Screening Programme do?

The NHS Breast screening Programme provides free breast screening every three years for all women in the UK aged 50 and over. Around 1.5 million women are now screened in the UK each year. Women aged between 50-70 are routinely invited for breast screening every 3 years. Once women reach the upper age limit for routine invitations for breast screening, they are encouraged to make their own appointment.

When was it set up?

The programme was set up by the department of health in 1988 in response to the recommendations of the 1986 report to Health Ministers, Breast Cancer Screening. This became known as the Forrest Report.

How the programme expanded

The NHS Cancer Plan, published by the Department of Health in September 2000, set out future developments in the NHS Breast Screening Programme. The programme was extended so that women up to and including the age of 70 receive routine invitations for screening by 2004. By 2003 all women had two views of the breast taken at every screen instead of just at the first (prevalent) screen. These changes to the breast screening programme were the biggest expansion to the programme since it was launched.

Benefits of Screening

Difficulties of Screening

Most breast cancers are found at an early stage when there is a good chance of a successful recovery. Around half the cancers that are found at screening are still small enough to be removed from the breast. This means that the whole breast does not have to be removed. Breast screening saves an estimated 1,250 lives each year in this country. Breast screening reduces the risk of the women who attend dying from breast cancer.

Some women may be called back for investigation, this can cause worry. Screening may miss some breast cancers. Not all breast cancers that are found at screening can be cured. Many women find mammography uncomfortable or painful, but normally just for a brief period of time.