Breast Screening is one of the three cancer screening programmes offered in England. About 1 in 8 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. If it’s detected early, treatment is more successful and there’s a good chance of recovery.
The screening is offered to anyone aged 50-70 who are registered with a GP as female. You’ll first be invited for screening within three years of your 50th birthday. You may be eligible for breast screening before the age of 50 if you have a very high risk of developing breast cancer.
If you have not been invited for breast screening by the time you are 53 and think you should have been, contact your local breast screening service using the breast screening services location finder here: https://bit.ly/3tgoa0G
So, what happens at a screening appointment? Breast screening uses an x-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they’re too small to see or feel. A mammographer will place the breast onto an X-ray machine, it will be squeezed between 2 pieces of plastic to keep it still while the X-rays are taken. The x-ray takes a couple of seconds, but the whole process should take no longer than 30 minutes.
If you’re overdue your breast screening, book your appointment today. It may just save your life.
Information provided by NHS England, NHS Digital and Royal Primary Care.