Charity calls for breast cancer screening change despite Cornwall's strong early diagnosis record
CoppaFeel! says many younger women still feel they're "too young" for the disease.
New data has revealed big differences in breast cancer diagnosis and survival depending on where women in the UK live, with a charity now calling for screening to be based on risk rather than age.
The figures, released by CoppaFeel!, the UK's only breast cancer awareness charity for young people, show Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has one of the best records in the country for catching breast cancer early in under-50s.
Just seven per cent of breast cancer cases in under-50s in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are diagnosed at a late stage, stage three or four, according to the charity. That compares to 30% in Birmingham and Solihull, which topped the list of late diagnosis hotspots.
Cornwall's mixed picture
Despite the strong early diagnosis rate, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly also has one of the highest rates of breast cancer being diagnosed in women aged 25 to 49 in the country, with an incidence rate of 101.2 per 100,000, according to the data. Only Derby and Derbyshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, and Frimley had higher rates.
CoppaFeel! said it does not yet know what is driving the variation in diagnosis rates in different areas, and is driving more research into the disease in younger people.
"We want to make sure that younger people know this is something that should be on their radar"
Across the UK a further 19 areas, including London, Lincolnshire, Coventry and Warwickshire, Greater Manchester, Norfolk, Cumbria, Kent, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire, see more than 20% of women under 50 with breast cancer receive a late-stage diagnosis, according to CoppaFeel!.
Late diagnosis is directly linked to survival. In Northamptonshire, five-year survival rates for all age groups are 82.1%, compared to 90.6% in Suffolk and North East Essex, the charity said. In Wales, five-year survival is five to eight per cent lower in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived.
The data also found that, on average, a woman is almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a late stage under 50 compared to over 60.
CoppaFeel!'s calls for change
CoppaFeel! is calling on the Government to pilot risk-based screening for women aged 18 to 49, using a seven-minute assessment that takes into account family history, genetic risk and breast density, to pinpoint who needs earlier or more frequent checks.
The charity also wants breast awareness built into routine NHS appointments, such as cervical screening, HPV vaccination and NHS Health Checks, through a short conversation about signs, checking and when to seek help.
Sophie Dopierala-Bull, Director of Services and Engagement at CoppaFeel!, said the number of women under 50 receiving a late-stage diagnosis remains "unacceptably high" across large parts of the UK.
"I think we still see breast cancer as just an older white woman's disease," she said.
"A lot of the work we do at CoppaFeel! is to try and make sure that we can raise awareness with lots of groups or genders, regardless of your background.
"We want to make sure that younger people know this is something that should be on their radar.
She added: "The fact that we have a current screening programme that only starts from 50 often does make people believe that it can only impact that age group. So that's why we exist.
"That's why our message is trying to tell everybody to start checking their chests, whatever age you are."