Breast cancer screening uptake at its lowest point in history

Breast cancer screening uptake fell to its lowest point ever during the pandemic, as the numbers of women seen dropped by more than one third.

Just 1.19 million women aged 45 and over were screened for breast cancer in 2020-21, while the numbers of women who actually took up their invitation for screening dropped to 61 per cent.

Analysis by Breast Cancer Now, of the new NHS figures published on Thursday, found that uptake during the first year of the pandemic was the lowest it had been since records began.

Figures also showed a regional variation in uptake, with 54 per cent of women in London taking up an invitation compared to 65 per cent in the east Midlands and the southeast.

The number of women who had cancer detected through screening decreased by almost 40 per cent, although rates when calculated per 1,000 women were up by 8.4 per cent.

The news comes after NHS figures revealed that half of patients in October waited more than two weeks following an urgent breast cancer referral.

According to analysis from the Labour Party in January, breast cancer patients faced the longest waits when compared to all other cancer referrals.

Breast Cancer Now chief executive Baroness Delyth Morgan said: “That 930,000 fewer women were screened for breast cancer between March 2020 and March 2021, compared to the previous year, is an alarming reminder of the devastating and continued impacts of the pandemic on breast cancer care and diagnosis.

“Screening uptake has hit its lowest point in history, with less than 62 per cent of women invited being screened, despite NHS staff working tirelessly, in the toughest of circumstances, to restart and continue breast screening services after they needed to be paused in March 2020.

“The human cost behind these figures is stark, with an estimated 8,870 women in the UK living with undetected breast cancer as a result of the pandemic – a significant number of which would have been detected at routine screening. Tragically, research suggests that up to an additional 680 women could die from breast cancer in the next decade due to impacts of the pandemic on screening.”

Baroness Delyth said screening is a vital tool for early detection of breast cancer and urged NHS England to improve uptake and clear the current diagnosis backlog.

She added: “Complete restoration of the breast screening programme, and a fully resourced plan for the diagnostic workforce required to run it, must also be central pillars of the government’s upcoming 10-year cancer strategy for England.”

Anyone seeking support and information can call the free Breast Cancer Now helpline on 0808 800 6000 and speak to their expert nurses.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “The pandemic inevitably had an impact on some routine services and we know that fewer people came forward for cancer checks.

“The NHS is now inviting more people than ever to be screened, while investing a further £70 million to support screening services, which we know saves thousands of lives, so it remains vital that women come forward when they receive their invitation to do so.”