Breast and cervical screening awareness
Monday, 03 Mar 2008 09:06
Screening for breast and cervical cancer has saved thousands of lives
Politicians and health campaigners have called for greater awareness of the cancer screening available on the NHS.
The calls follow statistics released to show the number of lives saved by screening during the past 20 years.
Figures from NHS Cancer Screening Programmes on its 20th anniversary show that over 100,000 breast cancers and 400,000 significant cervical abnormalities have been detected.
Over 70 million women in England have been screened, with more than 18 million sets of mammograms taken.
It is estimated that each year 1,400 lives are saved through breast screening and 4,500 lives through cervical screening.
But there are concerns that not all people attend screening when invited.
Julietta Patnick, director of NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, commented: "The figures show how important the screening programmes are for the prevention and early detection of cancer in England.
"The earlier cancer is detected, the higher the chances of successful treatment."
She added: "We continue to support the local NHS in increasing awareness amongst those less likely to accept screening invitations.
"These include older women for breast screening, younger women for cervical screening, and people from lower socio-economic groups and black and minority ethnic communities."
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