NHS Cancer Screening Programmes: Press Room

22/10/2009 | 400,000 more women in the target age group have cervical screening.

2008-2009 statistics show the number of women having cervical screening has increased to 3.7 million, an increase of 10.5 per cent.

13/07/2009 | Survey reveals black and minority ethnic communities unaware of cervical cancer risk.

Women from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are less sure of their cervical cancer risk than white women, according to a Populus poll commissioned by the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes.

10/07/2009 | NHSBSP responds to allegations in BMJ

NHS Breast Screening Programme responds to allegations that one in three breast cancers detected in screened women is overdiagnosed.

24/06/2009 | Announcement by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Ann Keen): "I announced in my Written Ministerial Statement of 13th March 2009 that we had asked the independent Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) to formally review the evidence relating to risks and benefits of cervical screening in women under 25 years, including current evidence regarding incidence and mortality in young women."

24/06/2009 | New cervical cancer campaign.

There will be a new drive to ensure GPs spot cervical cancer symptoms earlier in young women and refer patients correctly, Health Minister Ann Keen announced today

11/06/2008 | Screen-detected breast cancer patients match life expectancy

New figures show that women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, detected through the national screening programme and who then go on to receive treatment, have the same life expectancy as the UK female population as a whole.

03/03/2008 | More than half a million breast cancers and significant cervical abnormalities detected

New figures released today, to mark the 20th Anniversary of the NHS Breast and Cervical Screening Programmes, reveal that over 100,000 breast cancers and 400,000 significant cervical abnormalities1 have been detected since the programmes began in 1988.

25/09/2007 | Cancer screening to be expanded and waiting times to be further reduced.

Proposals to improve cancer care by increasing access, reducing waiting times and expanding screening for breast and bowel cancer will be set out in a new Cancer Reform Strategy this autumn, the Department of Health confirmed today.

10/08/2007 | Response to a new study comparing MRI with mammography.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme responds to a Lancet study published 10 August 2007 which found MRI scans are far better at detecting aggressive breast cancers at an early stage than standard mammograms.

18/10/2006 | Response to review published by the Cochrane Collaboration.

NHS Breast Screening Programme responds to the review published by the Cochrane Collaboration

19/04/2006 | Bowel cancer screening to be rolled out.

The Department of Health has today issued the following statement: The National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme will be rolled out nationally over the next three years.

22/02/2006 | Breast screening programme saves 1,400 lives per year

A new report published today estimates that the NHS Breast Screening Programme is saving 1,400 lives every year in England.

03/11/2005 | Over 100,000 more women attended for screening in 2003/04 compared with 2002/03

More women than ever before are attending for breast screening, according to the latest statistics published today in the NHS Breast Screening Programme Annual Review 2005.

11/10/2004 | The rise in cancers detected also illustrates an increase in the quality of screening

Statistics published today in the NHS Breast Screening Programme Annual Review 2004 show that, with over 80,000 more women attending for breast screening, the programme is reaching more women than ever before.

16/07/2004 | Cervical screening saves thousands of lives

According to research by Julian Peto et al, published in The Lancet (Vol.364: 249-56) on 16 July 2004, up to 5,000 deaths are being prevented each year by the cervical screening programme.

16/07/2004 | New NHS guideline will help identify and care for women at risk of "familial" breast cancer

A new guideline published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care (NCCPC) sets out how health professionals should identify and care for women who are at risk of developing breast cancer because of a history of the condition in their family (familial breast cancer).

22/10/2003 | Introduction of LBC and change in national policy

Today, at the Britain Against Cancer conference, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme announces the introduction of liquid based cytology (LBC) and a change in national policy.

08/08/2003 | The first results from the Million Women study

Today the Lancet is publishing a paper by Professor Valerie Beral et al revealing the first results from the Million Women study. The study confirms that current and recent use of HRT can increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer.

01/07/2003 | Cervical cancer deaths fall below 1000

For the first time ever deaths from cervical cancer have fallen below 1,000 in England. Figures released by National Statistics reveal that in 2002, 927 deaths from cervical cancer were registered.

14/12/2002 | Literature Updates are now available on-line

NHS Cancer Screening Programmes literature updates are now available on-line. With fully searchable and browsable versions of each title, this new facility will enable everyone to keep up to date with the latest research.

04/03/2002 | Enabling an informed choice to be made about screening

Women, who are hard of hearing, visually impaired or whose first language is not English should not miss out on being able to make a genuinely informed choice about whether or not to accept their invitation for screening.

01/11/2001 | Launch of 'informed choice'

Health Minister Lord Hunt, TV anchorwoman and former trainee radiographer Fiona Phillips, and representatives from cancer charities today joined the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes at the British Library to launch 'informed choice'.