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Breast cancer screenings in Suffolk have increased by over 4,000 women in the past year, helping push national uptake back to the crucial 70% target level.
Why it matters: Early detection through screening significantly increases breast cancer survival rates, with NHS England meeting its 70% uptake target for the first time since 2018-19.
By the numbers:
75,863 Suffolk women aged 53-71 received breast screenings in the three years to March
This represents 78.2% of eligible women in the area, up from 75% in the previous period
Suffolk's rate significantly outperforms the national average of 70%
The big picture: Across England, 70% of 6.6 million eligible women were screened in the three years to March, up from 66.4% between 2020-21 and 2022-23.
What they're saying: Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said meeting the uptake target was "thanks to the tireless work of NHS breast screening staff".
But she warned there remains "significant work to do to save more lives from breast cancer through screening" and added "it's vital we now build on this progress".
For context: The rise follows NHS England's first-ever breast screening awareness campaign to encourage more women to attend potentially life-saving mammographies.
The details: Women aged between 50 and 71 who are registered with a GP in England are offered an NHS breast screening every three years.
By the numbers:
16,677 women aged 45 and over had cancers detected through screening in the year to March
This corresponds to 8.5 cases per 1,000 women screened
This detection rate is down from 18,942 cancers and 8.7 per 1,000 women the year before
What they're saying: Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "The NHS breast screening programme has potentially saved thousands of lives, so it's encouraging to see greater numbers of women are coming forward to be screened since 2021."
She added "identifying and addressing" the reasons behind why people may not engage with screening will help improve uptake further.
The bottom line: Michelle Kane, director of screening at NHS England, said: "If more women come forward, we can catch thousands of cancers earlier when they are more treatable and ultimately save lives."
More information about breast screening can be found here.
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