Cancer cases detected by the NHS Breast Screening Programme nearly double in ten years

The NHS Breast Screening Programme is detecting nearly twice as many cancer cases as it did ten years ago, according to a report out today from The NHS Information Centre.

Figures show the programme detected nearly 14,200 cases in 2008/09; almost twice the number in 1998/99 when it picked up nearly 7,600. Of the cancers it detected in 2008/09, just over 11,200 or 79.1 per cent were invasive – the most serious type.

More than half of the invasive cancers (just over 52 per cent) were less than 15 mm in size and not detectable by hand. Findings from the report Breast Screening Programme, England 2008-09 show:

  • Around 2.3 million women (aged 45 and over) were invited for screening, an increase of 52.9 per cent from 1998/99 when 1.5 million women were invited.
  • Of those invited, around 1.8 million women (aged 45 and over) were screened, an increase of 43.9 per cent from 1998/99 when 1.2 million women were screened.
  • Coverage among 53 to 70 year olds was 76.5 per cent, an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the previous year

Chief executive of The NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said: “By picking up increasing numbers of breast cancer cases, the programme is helping to save the lives of many women each year.

“Screening helps detect cancers at an early stage. This enables earlier intervention and helps save lives.”

A full copy of the report, which includes regional level data is at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/brstscreen0809

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 more than 300 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. 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.
  2. The coverage of the screening programme is the proportion of women resident and eligible* at a particular point in time (31st March 2009 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)
  3. 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.
  4. National policy is to screen all eligible women every three years. The current target age range for breast screening is 50-70 (the screening programme has been extended to include women aged 65-70 since 2001. It was fully implemented in 2006-07). Since April 2008 the Screening Programme began rolling out a further age extension to include women aged 47-73. This will ensure all women have their first screening before the age of 50. Full implementation is expected by 2012 with full coverage expected in 2015.
  5. For media enquiries please call 0845 257 6990 or contact: