With the continued decline in uptake of breast screening in the UK needing to be urgently addressed, we were particularly alarmed to read the suggestion (Dr Dillner’s dilemma, G2, 11 December) that screening may do more harm than good. A government-commissioned review of the UK’s breast screening programmes in 2012, found that, overall, population-level screening prevents around 1,300 breast cancer deaths in the UK each year; these are cancers that are found earlier, offering patients the best chance of successful treatment. Routine screening isn’t yet perfect – and leading researchers are investigating how to target screening to those who need it the most, and how to give doctors even more information when deciding how best to treat a patient’s non-invasive breast cancer. But, while it is of course imperative that women understand any risks, there is no denying that NHS screening prevents women dying from breast cancer.
Delyth Morgan
Chief executive, Breast Cancer Now
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