NHS Breast Screening Programme FAQs
NHS Breast Screening Programme FAQs |
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Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't been called for breast screening even though I'm over 50 - do I need to contact anyone?The NHS Breast Screening Programme is a rolling one which calls women from doctors' practices in turn. This means not every woman receives her invitation as soon as she is 50. It will be sometime between the ages of 50 and 53. If you are registered with a GP and the practice has your correct details, then you will automatically receive an invitation. You don't need to contact anyone but you might like to ask your surgery when the women on their list are next due for screening. My sister has already had her invitation for breast screening even though she's younger than I am. Have I been forgotten?It's probably the case that your sister is registered with a different GP and the women on her practice's list have been called before those registered with your GP. Check with your surgery that they have your correct contact details and ask them when the women on their list are next due for screening. I've found a lump in my breast - can you tell me how I can get a mammogram?The NHS Breast Screening Programme is a population screening programme which invites all women aged 50 to 70 as a matter of routine. It is not aimed at women who already have symptoms. So if you have found something that worries you or are concerned about your breast health, you should consult your GP in the usual way. He or she will decide whether or not you need to be referred for further investigations or treatment. Why doesn't the NHS screen younger women?Mammograms are not as effective in younger women because the density of the breast tissue makes it more difficult to detect problems and also because the incidence of breast cancer is lower. The average age of the menopause in the UK is 50 and so this is the age when women join the NHS Breast Screening Programme. As women go past the menopause, the glandular tissue in their breast "involutes" and the breast tissue is increasingly made up of only fat. This is clearer on the mammogram and makes interpretation more reliable. It can be compared with trying to spot a small bird in a tree-it's easier when there are no leaves on the branches! My sister lives abroad and she gets more frequent breast screening. Why doesn't this happen in the UK?A large research trial in 2002 concluded that the NHS Breast Screening Programme has got the interval between screening and invitations about right at three years, compared with more frequent screening. The trial was organised through the United Kingdom Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research (UKCCCR) and was supported by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the Department of Health. Here are the results from the UKCCCR Randomised Trial (PDF-186Kb) from the European Journal of Cancer, 2002. I'm worried that breast screening will hurt because of the size of my breastsDon't worry. The mammography practitioners are used to screening women of all sizes and will do their best to minimise any discomfort. During the mammogram each breast is placed in turn on the x-ray machine and gently but firmly compressed with a clear plate. The compression only lasts a few seconds and doesn't cause any harm. It's needed to keep the breast still and to get the clearest picture with the lowest amount of radiation possible. Some women do find compression slightly uncomfortable and some feel short-lived pain but research has shown that for most women it's less painful than having a blood test and compares with having blood pressure measured. I'm a researcher who needs to contact all the breast screening units - can I have their contact details?Sorry, we don't routinely give out such details. Women wanting to know the whereabouts of an individual breast screening unit will find it listed in their local telephone directory. Can I walk into the mobile breast screening unit and request a mammogram?Sorry, the NHS Breast Screening Programme doesn't operate on a walk-in basis. It invites women in the target age group (50 to 70) for routine breast screening every three years. So if you have found something that worries you or are concerned about your breast health, you should contact your GP in the usual way. Why does breast screening stop at 70?It doesn't. Although women over 70 are not routinely invited for breast screening, they are encouraged to call the local unit to request breast screening every three years . We produce cards to help them remember which are handed out at their last routine breast screening appointment. Please see Over 70? You are still entitled to breast screening for further information. My company would like to organise breast screening for our employees. Can we have a mobile on site?I'm afraid the NHS Breast Screening Programme isn't organised like this. All breast screening units (including mobile ones) serve a defined population of eligible women (aged 50 to 70) who are invited for breast screening every three years through their GPs. If you are interested in encouraging women to be 'breast aware' and to accept their invitations for breast screening I suggest you contact your local health authority to see if they have health promotion people who could help you. I've read about a new breast screening technique. Why isn't it being offered by the NHS Breast Screening Programme?Before any new technology is introduced into the NHS Breast Screening Programme it must be thoroughly evaluated for both cost and clinical effectiveness. This ensures that we can provide the best possible service to the greatest number of women. Can women with a physical disability be screened?Mammography is a procedure which is technically difficult and which requires a high degree of cooperation between the mammography practitioner and the woman. The woman has to be carefully positioned on the x-ray machine, and must be able to hold the position for several seconds. This may not be possible for women with limited mobility in their upper bodies or who are unable to support their upper bodies unaided. If a woman has a physical disability, or is a wheelchair user, then the breast screening unit should advise on whether breast screening is technically possible. If a mammogram is not technically possible, the woman should still remain in the call and recall programme, as any increased mobility at a future date may make screening easier. If a woman cannot be screened she should be advised on breast awareness. Does taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increase my risk of breast cancer?The risk of breast cancer is increased in women who take HRT for several years:
HRT, especially combined therapy, may increase mammographic density, which may adversely affect radiological detection of breast cancer. In the Women's Health Initiative trial, conjugated equine oestrogens (CEE) and CEE plus medroxyprogesterone increased the likelihood of having an abnormal mammogram that needed further evaluation. [From MRHA Drug Safety Update Bulletin Vol 1, Issue 2, September 2007] |
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