MP urges all women over 50 to go for breast screening

Warrington North MP HELEN JONES has joined forces with fellow parliamentarians from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the UK’s leading breast cancer charity, to encourage all women aged 50 plus in (area) to attend breast screening regularly.

Breakthrough Breast cancer is concerned that although invites to attend screening from the NHS Breast Screening Programme are sent to women aged 50-70 every three years, some women over 70 are ‘cast adrift’ because they are not aware of their right to continue screening and to request appointments via their GP or local breast screening unit. Worryingly, it is the same group of women who are least likely to check their breasts regularly and know what signs or symptoms of the disease to look out for.

According to a survey of over 2,200 women aged over 50, commissioned by Breakthrough as part of the charity’s campaign, Screening Saves Lives, almost all women aged 70 and over have never requested their own screening appointment and do not realise they are at most risk of developing breast cancer – even though a third of the total 41,000 (around 14,000) breast cancers diagnosed in the UK each year occur in women aged 70 and over.

Other findings from Breakthrough’s survey include :

• only 2% of women questioned believe you are at more risk of getting breast cancer over the age of 70;
• two-thirds of women questioned do not realise they are at increasing risk of breast cancer over the age of 50 despite 80% of all breast cancers occurring over 50;
• almost a third of women aged over 50 haven’t checked their breasts in the last month, despite the risk of breast cancer increasing the older people get;
• over one in ten women over 50 do not check their breasts at all.

HELEN JONES said:

“ I am pleased to support Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s screening campaign. Women over the age of 50 must be encouraged to attend their breast screening appointments and those over 70 must ensure they make their own appointments. Breast screening is a free and vital service that can detect breast cancers too small to be seen by eye or felt by hand.

“ Over 41,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year. Early detection of the disease offers the best chance of successful treatment and can increase chances of survival. “