The bigger picture

Around two and a half million women are invited every year for testing as part of the NHS initiative, with around two million taking up the offer, and current evidence suggests that it reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer by around 1,300 a year. According to Cancer Research UK, this is because it increases the chance of detecting cancers at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat and more likely to be cured. But there is a flipside to this.

A Danish study published last year highlighted the limitations of breast screening, stating that it could lead to treatment of tumours that may never have caused any issues while not preventing more dangerous and advanced cancers.

Clearly, balance is required as Breast Cancer Care’s clinical director Emma Pennery comments: “It’s estimated that for every life saved through screening, three women will have unnecessary, often diffi cult, treatment. However, despite its flaws, screening remains the most effective tool at our disposal for detecting breast cancer at the earliest possible stage.”