Organised breast screening programmes save lives

A Cancer Research UK report, published in The Lancet (26.04.03) states that it has produced the strongest evidence to date that nationally organised screening programmes save lives, with breast cancer deaths having dropped by almost half after the Swedish breast screening programme was introduced.

[Mammography service screening and mortality among breast cancer cases: results of 20-year follow-up before and after introduction of screening, Tabar L, Yen M, Vitak B, Chen H T, Smith R A and Duffy S W, The Lancet, 26.04.03]

In response, Julietta Patnick, National Coordinator, NHS Breast Screening Programme comments:

"This study will help reassure the 1.5 million women who are invited for screening in England, that the NHS Breast Screening Programme is an effective part of this country's efforts in reducing the death toll from breast cancer.

"The NHS Breast Screening Programme has always been based on sound research evidence and it has research programmes to examine the appropriateness of screening women under 50 and whether or not we need to alter the current screening interval. The frequency trial¹ recently concluded that the screening interval for women over 50 is right at three years and we await the findings of the age trial² to see if it will be beneficial to screen women in England, annually from the age of 40."

¹The frequency of breast cancer screening: results from the UKCCCR Randomised Trial, European Journal of Cancer, 2002; 1458-1464

²The age trial, involved inviting 65,000 women aged 40 and 41 for breast screening. The study will consider the benefit, if any, gained from screening younger women. Interim results for the study should be available in 2005.

For further information please contact Charlotte Grant, Michelle Powell and Miriam Phillips in the Screening Press Office on 020 7282 2922

http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/news/019.html