Women in East of England could get cancer detected earlier as a result of first-ever NHS breast screening campaign

Breast cancer cases in the East of England could be detected earlier as a major new NHS drive begins, supporting thousands more women in the region to attend potentially life-saving breast screening.

The NHS launched its first-ever breast screening awareness campaign this week to highlight the benefits of screening and encourage more women to make the most of regular mammograms, as new figures show more than a third of women in the East of England invited for the first time don’t act on their invitation. 

The NHS England annual data also shows more than 100,000 eligible women in the region have never been screened and 28% per cent of women in the East of England did not attend their screening appointments following an invitation, (increasing to 35.2% of women who were being invited for the first time).

The new NHS campaign – supported by leading charity Breast Cancer Now – has launched with a new advert across TV, radio and online to highlight that screening can detect any cancers as early as possible, while also providing reassurance and relief to the millions of women who get the all-clear.

New NHS estimates suggest that if screening attendance could be improved to 80% of those eligible next year (2025/26), nearly a million more women in England (around 925,000) could be screened, compared to 2022/23 – with over 7,500 additional breast cancers detected at an earlier stage, when they are more treatable. In 2023-24, more than 7,000 women in the East of England (7,146) were referred for further checks following screening, and as a result 1,812 women had a cancer detected, which may not have been diagnosed and treated until a later stage.

The landmark NHS campaign sees celebrities including Newsnight anchor Victoria Derbyshire, broadcaster and presenter Julia Bradbury, and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas write ‘unofficial’ invitation letters to women about their personal experiences of screening to reassure them and encourage them to attend. They are joined by cancer survivors, NHS staff and TV doctors in sharing letters in a number of moving films launched this week.

East of England Cancer Alliance, Cancer GP Lead, Dr Pete Holloway, said: 

“We are really encouraged by this push to promote breast screening. It’s vitally important to diagnose breast cancer at an early stage, it can make a big difference with treatment.

“Screening appointments can be seen as intimidating, but breast screening doesn’t take very long, and it could save your life. Please do take up your appointment if invited. Healthcare staff will be happy to discuss it with you if you have any concerns.

“Our routine screening is available to people in England aged 50 and upwards, but if you do have any concerns about signs and symptoms before then, please contact your GP. We do encourage people to checks their breasts on a regular basis and learn about what symptoms to look out for.”

Dr Pam Hall, head of public health commissioning (cancer screening) / screening and immunisation lead (Essex) – NHS England – East of England region, said: 

“Although most eligible women in the region are taking up their invitations to breast screening, nearly a third are still hesitant. This new campaign is aiming to help us to reach more women and encourage them to keep their appointments, so that we can catch more cancers earlier when they are more treatable. Your screening can also help to provide reassurance if you are concerned. Your appointment could save your life.”

The campaign comes as a new survey of 2,000 women nationally for the NHS showed that almost 40% rarely or never talk about breast screening with their female friends and families, and almost a quarter (24%) of women said they wouldn’t attend if they didn’t already have symptoms like a lump. More than a fifth (21%) also said that embarrassment at being topless in front of someone would prevent them from attending. Concerns about screening being painful (18.5%) also feature. However, 83.2% said they would attend breast screening if they were invited.

Thanks to the hard work of NHS teams in the East of England, latest data shows breast screening uptake among those invited in 2023-24 improved to 72.2% – a significant jump from 66.0% in 2022-23 – and the first time the NHS in the region and nationally has hit its acceptable target for breast screening uptake since before the pandemic. More than 530,000 women in the East of England are up to date with their screening (screened within the last three years), which is above the national average for coverage.

Balwinder Nanray from Essex was diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram appointment as part of the breast screening programme. Balwinder had an aggressive stage 3 breast cancer, which required immediate surgery, with a mastectomy and removal of 12 lymph nodes, followed by extensive treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Balwinder was in her 50s and had no signs or symptoms before her first screening – showing the importance of screening, as you may not see or notice the signs or symptoms.

Being part of an Asian community presented additional challenges for Balwinder as there can be stigma around cancer, especially gender-related cancers. Balwinder joined an Asian breast cancer support group to help her deal with her diagnosis and to join with others going through the same experience. She was also supported by the charity Breast Cancer Now both during and beyond her recovery; helping her move forward with her life and enabling her to share her story with others going through the same experience.

Balwinder is one of the members of the East of England Cancer Alliance’s Patient Partnership Group, which gives people living with or beyond cancer the opportunity to influence and help shape the cancer care pathway in our region. 

After diagnosis and treatment, Balwinder was given the chance to take part in a fashion show run by Breast Cancer Now, involving Estee Lauder and Vidal Sassoon, that raised £400,000 for charity. She also offers mentoring to others going through treatment and has helped write a book on cancer stories for Think Pink. Most recently she campaigned in Parliament with BCNow (No time to waste), convincing MPs to become ambassadors in their constituencies. 

Balwinder took part in a 5K run after her cancer treatment was completed, which gave her the much-needed positivity not to be defined by a cancer diagnosis. She joined a ‘moving forward’ group, which offers half day sessions after completion of cancer treatment. She is also a member of a charity called BRiC – set up to empower resilience in women with a primary or secondary diagnosis of breast cancer.

Balwinder said:

“A recent survey showed almost 40% of women rarely or never talk about breast screening with their female friends and families, this happens even less in some communities and ethnicities, it’s not talked about enough and we need to get the conversation started.

“In Asian communities there are a number of factors that might influence people in attending. In underrepresented communities, the fear is often greater, as women often feel ashamed and embarrassed, but this should not be the case, it’s not their fault they get cancer. The importance of screening is vital, as early detection is key to better outcomes to live well.

“I think seldom-heard voices in certain communities and people who live in more deprived areas are least likely to undergo a routine screening, because of myths and taboos in the communities they live in. Uptake of screening is lower in ethnic minorities and we need to address this health inequality. We need to collaborate and seek to understand by building trusted relationships.

“Importantly this campaign will increase awareness about the importance of breast screening and break down the barriers that exist so that everyone gets the chance to be diagnosed, treated early and have better outcomes. I am delighted that NHS England has launched its first ever awareness campaign to encourage more women to attend their appointment when invited.” 

In 2019, Denise Cherry from Wilstead in Bedfordshire was invited to her second routine mammogram. After the appointment, she was called back for further tests, including a mammogram and a biopsy, which involved taking a small sample of body tissue for examination. Although Denise had no symptoms and was otherwise fit and healthy, the results confirmed that she had breast cancer – the additional tests identified two tumours in her right breast. The lumps were too small for Denise to feel and she was thankful that the cancer had been caught at the earliest stage, and to be able to start discussing treatment straight away. Denise had a mastectomy to remove the cancer and tests confirmed that she would not need to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Denise then had surgery to reconstruct her right breast in 2022.

However, in 2023, Denise received an unrelated diagnosis of bowel cancer. She had a hemicolectomy to remove part of her colon, but she is now in recovery.

Denise is now slowly returning to normal life, after having survived two cancer diagnoses. She now wants to use her experience to encourage women to get screened as soon as they are invited, as it might save their life as it did hers.

Denise said:

“I want all women to know how important it is to attend your breast screening appointment. I couldn’t feel the lumps in my breast at all, so without my mammogram, they may not have been found until it was too late. You might be worried or embarrassed to attend your screening, but it’s a simple x-ray that could save your life, as it did mine.”