A third of women in Yorkshire do not take up offer of breast screening

A third of women in Yorkshire do not attend their breast screening appointment when invited, according to analysis from Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Breast screening is a vital way to spot breast cancers early, especially when the cancer might be too small to feel or see. Around 9 in 10 of breast cancers diagnosed through screening are found at an early stage, when more treatment options are available, and the cancer is more likely to be treated successfully.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Yorkshire, with one in every 50 women having received a breast cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives.

While the rate of women attending their breast screening appointments across Yorkshire is similar to the country as a whole (67%), there are many areas in the region which have a significantly lower rate of women attending their breast screening appointments. The lowest rate in Yorkshire is in Bradford where only 57% of women aged 53 to 70 years old are taking up the offer to get checked for breast cancer.

Yorkshire isn’t currently meeting the NHS-set “achievable” target to have 80% of eligible people screened for breast cancer. In order to meet this target, more than 75,000 additional people would need to be screened. If this target was being met in Yorkshire, Yorkshire Cancer Research estimates that these additional screens would diagnose 692 additional breast cancers and could potentially save hundreds of lives.

Yorkshire Cancer Research funds vital new screening programmes and research trials to help detect cancers at the earlier possible opportunity and ensure more people in Yorkshire can access life-saving screening.

The DOORstep trial, offers thousands of women in Hull, where 31% of eligible people are not up to date with their breast cancer screening, free door-to-door transport to their breast screening appointment.

Led by researchers at Hull York Medical School, the University of Hull, alongside researchers from the University of Leeds and Hull University Teaching Hospital, the trial investigates whether offering bookable transport to and from breast screening is an effective way to increase the number of women attending their appointments.

Yorkshire Cancer Research also recently funded an innovative project, led by researcher Emily Lunn at Hull York Medical School, who designed and created an educational game to highlight the barriers and facilitators to attending a breast screening appointment.

Working in partnership with Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, Emily toured a super-size version of the snakes and ladders game around shopping centres across the region to encourage women to attend their breast screening appointments, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Improving early diagnosis in Yorkshire is one of four policy areas Yorkshire Cancer Research is asking politicians to support as part of its  Change Yorkshire's Cancer Story campaign, so more people in Yorkshire can access life-saving screening and feel supported to come forward with cancer signs and symptoms.

Mum-of-two Claire Strachan from Wetherby was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer at 50 years old after noticing an indentation in the mirror on holiday and subsequently finding a lump in her right breast. Claire was just below the age threshold of being eligible to get screened and was diagnosed with breast cancer six months before she received her first offer of a mammogram.

“I’d like to see greater education around breast cancer, so people know how to check their own bodies and feel confident in recognising signs and symptoms, especially if they are under 50, and therefore not yet eligible for screening. It isn’t just about finding a lump, there are many other symptoms to look out for too. It was only through seeing the indentation in a mirror that I did then find the lump, and this meant I was able to be treated in time. Without noticing the indentation, it could have been quite a different outcome.”

Claire had three operations to remove the cancer, including a full hysterectomy, and is now taking part in the Yorkshire Cancer Research Active Together programme to support her recovery from cancer.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research, Services and Policy at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the country, and it is the most prevalent in Yorkshire. That’s why attending breast screening appointments and checking your body for symptoms regularly is crucial, so the cancer is detected and treated at the earliest possible stage, and more people can make a full long-lasting recovery.”