The letter that SAVE YOUR

Why do a third of women miss their breast cancer screenings?

- KERRY HARDEN

We’ve all had that letter in the post reminding us to make an appointment for a routine breast or cervical screening. While we may have good intentions to follow it through, many of us end up putting it to one side, distracted by other ‘life admin’ jobs on the list, then forget about it.

After a breast cancer scare in April 2024, Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas urged other women not to avoid mammograms and smear tests, saying: ‘Check your body, check your breasts. It might save your life.’

Yet, worryingly, NHS England has reported that a third of women, aged 50 to 70, have failed to attend their routine mammogram appointments in the last three years, which means more than 2 million eligible women have missed out on essential screening.

But that appointment you keep delaying could save your life.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes. Sadly, around 12,000 women die from breast cancer every year.

Mammogram screening uses an X-ray machine to spot breast cancer in its early stages, when it’s too small to see or feel. Research has found that regular mammograms can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer by 65%, but why are so many women avoiding them? Woman investigates…

‘I HAVE A PROSTHETIC BREAST’