Breast cancer screening
About one in nine women will develop breast cancer at some time during their life.
Since 1988 the NHS Breast Screening Programme has screened over
19 million women in the UK and detected 117,000 cancers. It saves around 1,400 lives a year in England. Breast screening is a method of detecting breast cancer at a very early stage.
Be breast aware
Women of all ages should be breast aware.
Follow the 5 point plan:
- know what is normal for you
- look at and feel your breasts
- know what changes to look for (lumps, pain, discharge from the nipple or anything else unusual)
- tell your doctor about any changes as soon as possible
- go for breast screening every three years if you are over 50.
Who needs to be screened?
Women aged between 50 – 70 years are automatically invited for a free breast scan (called a mammogram) once every three years. Women over the age of 70 can make an appointment by calling the South East London Breast Screening Service on Tel:0203 299 1964.
If you are under the age of 50 and feel something is irregular or cause for concern, speak to your doctor about a screening appointmet.
What does the screening involve?
You will be asked to undress to the waist and each breast in turn will be placed between two X-ray plates and compressed. Two ‘views’ of your breast will be taken: top to bottom and side to side. The whole visit should take around half an hour.
The screening staff will tell you when to expect your results. If your screening
result is not clear, you may be recalled to hospital for further assessment. A
recall does not necessarily mean you have cancer. It may mean doctors want to
investigate further, or that the mammogram was not clear enough and you need
another one.
We will invite you for screening by getting you name from NHS records, this is obtained from your GP details therefore it is important that your contact details are kept up to date with your doctor.
The screening centre may be in a hospital/clinic or mobile. Breast awareness and regular mammograms offer you the best chance of finding breast cancers early.
Contact us
For more information about breast cancer contact the South East London Breast Screening Service on Tel: 0203 299 1964.
