Breast cancer screening catches more than 60,000 cases, but uptake declining

Screenings for breast cancer in the UK have caught more than 60,000 cases, however, participation in cancer screening is struggling to return to pre-Covid levels. 

In England, breast cancer screenings are conducted to help prevent cancer or catch cancer at early stage.

The new insights from Cancer Research UK reveal that from 2019 to 2023, these screenings have diagnosed around 62,600 cases of cancer.

Despite this, the insights show that uptake for breast cancer screening is struggling to return to pre-Covid levels, with levels down from 71.1 per cent in 2018 to 2019 to 64.6 per cent from 2022 to 2023.

Cancer Research UK is now calling on the UK Government to work with the NHS to make it easier for people who are eligible to access screening.

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Every year, screening programmes help spot thousands of cancer cases across England. This is testament to the research that made these programmes possible, and the hardworking NHS staff who deliver them.

“But there’s so much more that can be done. Making screening more digital, and improving data collection to know who is and isn’t coming forward, will help to target people who currently miss their appointments, but would like to attend. This is essential – better access to screening means better chances of catching cancer early.”

Reasons some people are not attending screenings include not having symptoms, being too embarrassed to attend, and the experience or anticipation of pain for breast screening.

The insights also reveal that people from ethnic minority groups and people from lower income backgrounds are less likely to attend screening.