With World Cancer Day approaching on 4 February, understanding the diverse national cancer screening programmes, from mammograms to at-home faecal immunochemical tests, is crucial.
Eligibility for these vital NHS health checks varies significantly by age and location.
King Charles, who was speaking about his own cancer diagnosis and journey, said he had been “deeply troubled” to learn that at least 9 million people in the UK are not up to date with the cancer screenings available to them, warning of missed opportunities.
Patients who are concerned about a lump or something they are unsure about are always advised to speak to their GP, as an early diagnosis is important in preventing the spread of any disease and improving the likelihood of successful treatment.
Dr Rachel Orritt, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, states the aims and specifics of each initiative, helping individuals discern which programmes are relevant to them.
Breast screening
“Breast screening helps to find cancer at an early stage, which is when treatment is more likely to be successful,” explains Orritt. “It involves a mammogram of your breast or chest that looks for breast cancer, essentially when it’s too small to see or feel.
“In most cases, people are invited every three years for a breast screening between the ages of 50 and 70.”
However, you might be able to have a mammogram earlier if your risk is higher.
“You can have screening at a younger age if your risk is higher, for example if you have family history of breast cancer, or if you have a gene fault that puts you at a higher risk such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation,” explains Orritt.
“If you are concerned, talk to your GP and they’ll be able to help you understand your particular risk and can see if it might be suitable for you to have a breast screening sooner.”
A mammogram takes two X-ray images of each breast so it can get them from both angles, one from above and one from the side, she explains.
“That X-ray is then reviewed by someone to see if there’s any changes in your breast that might mean require further follow-up tests,” says Orritt. “You’ll receive results after your appointment which will tell you if you need to go back for further tests or not.”
Cervical screening
“Anyone who has a cervix will be invited for a cervical screening every five years between the ages of 25 and 64 in Wales, Scotland and England,” says Orritt.
However, this is slightly different in Northern Ireland where you get an invite every three years between the ages of 25 to 49, but after that, you will get an invite every five years until age 64, according to Cancer Research UK’s website.
She recognises that some people get nervous about this type of screening, so she recommends talking about any concerns and questions with your GP or nurse before the appointment.
“A nurse will use a small, soft brush to take a sample of cells from the cervix and then that sample is then tested for HPV, human papillomavirus,” explains Orritt.
“The reason that it looks for HPV is because high-risk HPV causes almost all cases of cervical cancer. So, by focusing the test on HPV we can pick up people who might be at risk of developing the disease.”
If your result is HPV negative, your sample will not be tested for cell changes and if you have a high risk type of HPV, the sample is then checked under a microscope for cell changes, according to Cancer Research UK’s website.
You will receive your results and next steps via letter or on the NHS app.
“The main aim for cervical screening is to help prevent cervical cancer from developing in the first place,” says Orritt.
Bowel screening
Bowel screening in the NHS uses a test called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to look for blood in a sample of your poo.
“Bowel screening is offered to people between the ages of 50 and 74 in the UK, however in Northern Ireland it’s offered to people aged 60 to 74,” says Orritt.
“People within these age ranges will automatically receive a FIT kit in the post every two years.”
You can also get screening for bowel cancer every two years if you’re aged 75 or over, but you need to call the bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 6060 and ask for the test, according to the NHS website.
“The aim of bowel screening is to help find cancer at an early stage and to also find any changes in the bowel that could lead to cancer,” says Orritt.
“Eligible people are sent a poo testing kit that can be done in the privacy of your own home and then is returned safely in the post.
“That sample is then tested to spot any possible tiny traces of blood in your poo which could be a sign of bowel cancer, or changes in the bowel that could put you in increased risk of bowel cancer.”
Lung screening
“The lung screening is for people aged between 55 and 74 who either currently smoke or have smoked in the past,” says Orritt. “At the moment it’s not currently available at all in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, just England, but Wales do have plans to introduce it.
“Similar to some of the other screening programmes, it helps find lung cancer at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful.”
The targeted lung cancer screening programme is still new, so it’s likely that it will take some time before this is available for everyone, according to Cancer Research UK’s website.
“When it’s up and running, anyone between the ages of 55 and 74 who smokes or used to smoke will be invited to take part,” says Orritt.
“They will be first invited for a risk assessment and, based on those results, some people will then also be invited to have a CT scan of the lungs if they’re deemed to be a higher risk of lung cancer.”
Do you need to be signed up with a GP to be sent a cancer screening invite?
“To make sure that you get your cancer screening invites, make sure you’re registered with a GP and your address information is all up to date,” advises Orritt.
“In most cases, once you become eligible you will be sent an invitation in the post.
“However, we’re starting to see things like the NHS app notifications be used more, and over the next few years we’ll probably see a bit of a move towards digital invites.”
If you think you are eligible but haven’t received a screening invite yet, Orritt recommends contacting your GP.
“It’s okay to contact your GP because it might be that your address is wrong or isn’t up to date on their records, for example,” says Orritt.
“There could be a number of reasons for this, and the GP can help investigate that for you.”
Do you need to wait for a screening to check to see if you have cancer?
“One of the main things that I think is really important to get across when we’re talking about cancer screening, is that these programmes are for people without any symptoms,” highlights Orritt.
“If you have symptoms or are worried about something, you don’t need to wait for screening invite. Talk to your GP about any concerns straight away.”
To find out more about what screenings might be relevant to you, visit screeningchecker.com
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