Breast Cancer Screening
Your breast cancer screening results
Source: NHS
In this topic (14)
After your breasts have been X-rayed, the mammogram will be checked for any abnormalities. About one in 25 women will be called back for further assessment.
Being called back doesn't mean you definitely have cancer. The first mammogram may have been unclear.
About one in four women who are called back for further assessment are diagnosed with breast cancer.
You will receive a letter with your breast screening results within two weeks of your appointment. The results will also be sent to your GP.
Most women will have a satisfactory result
In about 96 out of every 100 women screened, the mammogram will show no sign of cancer. This is a satisfactory result.
Remember that cancer can still develop between mammograms, so tell your GP straight away if you notice any breast changes. Read about the symptoms of breast cancer .
Some women will need more tests because they have an abnormal result
The results letter may say you need more tests because the mammogram looks abnormal. About four in every 100 women are asked to come back for more tests after screening.
Out of these four women, one will be found to have cancer. The rest will not have cancer and will go back to having screening invitations every three years.
If you are called back for more tests, you may have a breast examination, more mammograms and ultrasounds. You may also have a Biopsy , which is when a small sample is take from your breast with a needle to be checked under a microscope. You will usually get your results within a week.
Occasionally, women will need another mammogram before they get their result
Sometimes technical problems mean that the mammogram is not clear enough to read. If this happens, you will be asked to have another mammogram to get a clearer picture of your breast.
If you're found to have breast cancer...
If you're found to have breast cancer, it could be either non-invasive or invasive.
Non-invasive breast cancer
About one in five women diagnosed with breast cancer through screening will have non-invasive cancer. This means there are cancer cells in the breast, but they are only found inside the milk ducts (tubes) and have not spread any further. This is also called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
In some women, the cancer cells stay inside the ducts. But in others, they will grow into (invade) the surrounding breast in the future.
Doctors can't tell whether non-invasive breast cancers will grow into the surrounding breast or not.
Invasive breast cancer
About four in five women diagnosed with breast cancer through screening will have invasive cancer. This is cancer that has grown out of the milk ducts and into the surrounding breast. Most invasive breast cancers will spread to other parts of the body if left untreated.
Read about the treatment of both invasive and non-invasive breast cancer .
Articles for Breast Cancer Screening
Can I walk into the mobile breast screening unit and request a mammogram?
No, the Breast Screening Programme doesn't operate on a walk-in basis. It invites women in the target age group (50 to 70) for routine breast screening every three years.
Can women with a physical disability be screened?
Mammography is a procedure that is technically difficult and that requires a high degree of cooperation between the mammography practitioner and the woman.
How do I opt out of breast cancer screening?
If you don't want to be invited for breast screening in the future, contact your GP or your breast cancer screening unit and ask to be removed from their list of women eligible for screening.
I am a carer, looking after someone who lacks the mental capacity...
If you do need to make a decision on someone else's behalf, consider what is involved in the screening process (including any further diagnostic tests that may be needed if the person receives an abnormal screening result). You may find it helpful to speak to their GP to discuss.
I am changing from a woman to a man. Will I still be offered breast screening?
Individuals who are undergoing female to male gender reassignment will continue to be invited for breast screening as long as they are registered as a woman, unless they ask to be removed from the programme or have had both breasts removed.
I haven't been called for breast screening even though I'm over 50 do I need to contact anyone?
The NHS Breast Screening Programme is a rolling one, which calls women from doctors' practices in turn. This means not every woman receives her invitation as soon as she is 50. It will be sometime between the ages of 50 and 53.
I'm in the process of changing from a man to a woman. I'm over 50. Am I entitled to breast screening?
Individuals who are undergoing male to female gender reassignment may be screened as a self-referral at the request of their GP. If you have a symptom, you should see your GP in the usual way.
I'm worried that breast screening will hurt because of the size of my breasts...
During the mammogram each breast is placed in turn on the X-ray machine and gently but firmly compressed with a clear plate. The compression only lasts a few seconds and doesn't cause any harm.
Introduction
Breast screening aims to find breast cancers early. It uses an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel.
What happens during breast screening?
Breast screening is carried out at special clinics or mobile breast screening units. It's carried out by female members of staff who take mammograms (X-rays of the breast).
What happens to my mammograms after screening?
The screening programme regularly checks records to make sure the service is as good as possible. Staff in other parts of the health service may need to see your records for this, but your records will only be shared with people who need to see them.
When it's offered
Women who are aged 50-70 and registered with a GP are automatically invited for breast screening every three years.
Why is mammography offered
The NHS offers screening to save lives from breast cancer. Screening does this by finding breast cancers at an early stage, when they are too small to see or feel.
Your breast cancer screening results
After your breasts have been X-rayed, the mammogram will be checked for any abnormalities. About one in 25 women will be called back for further assessment.
