Breast screening

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and will affect one woman in nine in her lifetime. In the UK, it is estimated that 45,500 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year and that 12,000 women will die from it.

What should I look out for?

It you are aware of what is normal for you then you are more likely to notice any changes in your breasts. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms or have any concerns, see your doctor.

A lump or thickening which is different to the rest of the breast tissue
Continuous pain in one part of the breast or armpit
One breast becomes larger or lower
A nipple becomes inverted or changes shape or position
Skin changes including puckering or dimpling
Swelling under the armpit or around the collarbone
A rash on or around the nipple
Discharge from one or both nipples

Often these changes will not indicate anything serious but it is best to have them checked out.

Why have a screening programme?

In addition to being 'breast aware', women aged 50 and over can attend breast screening. Breast screening is a method of detecting breast cancer at a very early stage which enables treatment to be offered early and quickly. Around one-and-a-half million women are screened in the UK each year.

Breast screening will not prevent breast cancer occurring but it will enable early detection of the disease which can be treated quickly and more effectively than late detection. The World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that there is a 35 per cent reduction in mortality (death) from breast cancer among screened women aged 50 - 69 years old. This means that out of every 500 women screened, one life will be saved.

When will I be invited for breast screening?

The NHS Breast Screening Programme provides free, routine breast screening every three years for all women in the UK aged 50 - 70 years. You should be called for your first screen within three years of your 50th birthday. Women over 70 years may refer themselves for a breast screen if they wish by asking their GP.

Starting in 2011, the NHS Breast Screening Programme is phasing in an extension of the age range of women eligible for breast screening to those aged 47 to 73. Initially, not all women aged 47 - 49 and 71 - 73 years will be called, but these women can still refer themselves via their GP or by contacting the breast screening unit.

Oxfordshire’s breast screening service is a part of the national programme and is provided locally by the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust.

What does breast screening involve?

You will be invited to a specialised screening unit, which can be hospital based, mobile, or permanently based in another convenient location such as a shopping centre. Here you will have an x-ray, known as a mammogram, of each breast. This can be uncomfortable and may be a little painful. The mammogram can detect small changes in breast tissue which may indicate cancers which are too small to be felt either by the woman herself or by a doctor.

When will I get the result of the screening?

You should receive a letter within 2-3 weeks of having your mammography. This will either tell you that nothing abnormal has been detected and that you will be called again for screening in three years time or that further tests are needed and you will be given an appointment for an assessment clinic. This does not mean that you have cancer but that there is a lump or unusual area that needs closer examination. For information about these tests, see the Breast Cancer Care website (see below).