Nearly six thousand cases of invasive cancer detected by the NHS Breast Screening Programme last year were ones that are usually too small to find by hand, new figures from The NHS Information Centre show today.

In 2009/10 the programme in England detected 5,913 invasive cancers that were less than 15 millimetres across. This accounted for just over two fifths (41.6 per cent) of all 14,229 cancers detected by the programme in 2009/10 among women aged 45 and over.

The percentage of small invasive cancers, as well as the total number of cancers detected, was slightly higher than last year. In 2008/9, 41.3% (5,850) of the 14,166 cancers detected were invasive and less than 15 millimetres.

The report, Breast Screening Programme, England 2009-10, also shows that in 2009/10:

• The number of women aged 50 to 70 invited for screening reached 2.24 million, compared to 2.22 million the year before.³
• Uptake of invitations (excluding early recalls) for women aged 50 to 70 was 73.2 per cent, compared to 73.6 per cent in 2008/9 and 74.4 per cent in 2004/05.
• The number screened aged 45 and over reached 1.79 million, compared to 1.77 million the year before and 1.48 million in 2004/05.⁴
• Coverage among 53 to 70 year olds was 76.9 per cent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the previous year. ⁵,⁶

Chief executive of The NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said: “Our figures show that nearly six thousand women screened last year had invasive breast cancers detected that were too small to have been found by hand.

“This highlights the vital impact of the National Screening Programme in detecting breast cancers that are so small they measure less than 15mm and could have otherwise gone unnoticed.”

A full copy of the report, which includes regional level data is at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/brstscreen0910

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The NHS Information Centre (The NHS IC) is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a broad range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work.

2. The NHS IC also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.

3. Figures relating to the number of women invited for screening are given for the 50-70 age group as all eligible women in this age group should currently be invited for screening.

4. Women aged 45 and over are referred to where statistics are presented for the number of women screened. This is because the number screened includes all those invited through the screening programme as well as GP and self referrals.

5. Coverage figures relate to women aged between 53 and 70. 6. The coverage of the screening programme is the proportion of women resident and eligible* at a particular point in time (31st March 2010 in this instance) who have had a test with a recorded result at least once in the previous 3 years. (*Excluding those ineligible i.e. those who have had a bilateral mastectomy). Coverage of the programme is currently assessed on the 53 to 70 age group as women may be called for screening at any time between their 50th and 53rd birthdays and then at three yearly intervals until the age of 70.

7. National policy is that all eligible women aged 50-70 are invited for screening every three years. The screening programme has been extended to include women aged 65-70 since 2001. The last screening unit started inviting older women in April 2006. In December 2007 it was announced that the age at which women are screened would be extended again, incorporating nine screening rounds between the ages of 47 and 73 years. This will ensure all women have their first screening before the age of 50. Implementation across all parts of the country will be in progress by the end of 2011 and full roll out is expected to be completed after 2016.

8. An invasive cancer is one that has spread beyond the layer of tissue in which it developed and is growing into surrounding, healthy tissue.

9. For media enquiries please call 0845 257 6990 or email mediaenquiries@ic.nhs.uk