Over a quarter of South West women not up to date with mammograms
The NHS is urging us to go for breast cancer screenings when invited
The NHS is calling on women in the South West to attend breast cancer screenings when they become eligible - after stats show 27% of females in our region aren't up to date with mammograms.
Health bosses say 12% of women here have never been for testing when invited.
A new campaign's been launched, encouraging people to go for the screening every three years from the ages of 50 to 71.
The screenings are potentially life-saving, as breast cancer is far more treatable when caught early.
Angela's story
6\0 year old Angela lives in the South West and received a routine breast screening invitation in 2021.
She felt healthy and had no symptoms, so was shocked to find out she had grade 1 breast cancer.
As the cancer had been caught at an early stage and was still small it could be removed and treated.
Now fully recovered, Angela is passionate about encouraging other women like herself to take up their breast screening appointments and her experience has inspired many of her friends and family to get checked too.
Angela said: “I sometimes reflect on what would have happened if I had not gone for my appointment. My cancer was a flat, long shape, and I would have not noticed anything for probably a few more years, by which time, it would have grown and possibly spread, making it more difficult to treat.
‘’We have this amazing service on offer to us. The mammogram is a little bit uncomfortable, but that only lasts a few moments. The radiographers are all women, and it's probably less embarrassing than many other things I could mention – but won’t! You might feel reluctant to have your mammogram, but it’s the most important thing you can do for your health. Mine took only a few minutes and ended up saving my life.”
Only 61% of women in the South West take up the offer of free breast screening when first invited.
A survey found that 63% of the region's women also underestimated survival rates for those diagnosed at the earliest stage.
Nearly one in 10 women said embarrassment would stop them attending a breast screening appointment, while not having any symptoms, like a lump, would prevent 18% from being checked.
Kayleigh Davenport, a Screening Breast Cancer Nurse said: “It’s completely normal to be nervous or feel embarrassed about your breast screening appointment, but your screening team is there to help and to make the experience as easy and comfortable as possible for you.
‘’It’s free to attend and only takes a few minutes, so please take the time for yourself. Screening could save your life or more likely, put your mind at ease.’’
Dr Michael Marsh, Medical Director for NHS England South West, said:
“Breast cancer screening saves lives. Finding cancer early can make it more likely that treatment will be successful, so we want to encourage all women to attend their screening when invited, particularly if it’s your first time.
"We know that cancer survival rates are at an all-time high thanks to this focus on early detection. We want to continue to save more lives by ensuing as many women as possible have access to screening and can be diagnosed at the earliest stage.”