Many women are too fearful, anxious and embarrassed to go for breast cancer screening, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) National Cancer conference today.
Researchers from the Gateshead Foundation Trust looked at why breast screening uptake varies between different areas covered by their screening programme. They found that even in areas of high deprivation, a known reason for low breast screening uptake, GP practices’ screening rates still differed by over 10 per cent.
By speaking to women in focus groups they found that fear, anxiety and embarrassment were the main reasons women gave for not attending breast screening. The other reason given was denial of the disease, saying cancer would never happen to them.
Further work also showed women were not aware that breast cancer risk increases with age. And worryingly, most women could only name two symptoms of the disease.
Julie Tucker, lead author from the Gateshead Foundation Trust, said: “Our results show that more must be done to tackle the low uptake of screening and poor awareness of breast cancer symptoms. We must ensure that GPs, nurses and health professionals feel able to talk to women about the pros and cons of breast screening as well as what signs and symptoms they need to look out for.”
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK and the National Breast Screening Programme has a significant role to play in reducing deaths. Patients who have cancer detected through screening have a higher one year relative survival rate than patients who have cancer detected through other routes.
Dr Jane Cope, director of the NCRI, said: “This is important research to help understand what is putting off some women going for breast screening. Every year over 48,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and around 12,000 die from the disease.”
I think more women are making an informed decision not to have breast screening, I did. There are hidden issues with over-diagnosis and I believe the so-called benefits are exaggerated. I also strongly disagree with the Govt or doctors just ordering women into testing, with no respect for our right to review ALL of the information (not just the stuff that puts testing in a favourable light) and make up our own minds. We’re fed spin and scare tactics are used, and we get misleading information, like the 1 in 8 will get breast cancer slogan – they fail to mention that assumes we all reach advanced old age – the risk rises with age. In my age range – early 50′s, it’s one in 58 – still a concern, but nowhere near 1 in 8. These programs need to be sorted out – unethical conduct needs to be challenged and stopped, paternalistic attitudes need to change – women are adults and doctors and the govt don’t have the right to keep information from us, mislead us, make decisions for us or accept risk on our behalf. The truth is at the Nordic Cochrane Institute website – they were so concerned at the inadequate information being given to women, they drafted their own: “The risks and benefits of mammograms”. Also, “Breast cancer screening: the inconvenient truths” by Prof Michael Baum (on Utube and the UCL website) http://www.cochrane.dk/ & http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lhl/lhlpub_autumn10/06_28102010