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Cancer Screening
East End Health Network 2 provides the following care services for Cancer:
- Bowel Cancer Screening
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Cervical Cancer Screening
We have a dedicated administration team that contact patients from all of our practices to book appointments and offer help and advice.
National Screening Programmes
There are several national screening programmes. They save thousands of lives a year.
Bowel Cancer
About 1 in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer. It is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Over 16,000 people die from it each year.
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective. Regular bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16%.
Breast Cancer Screening
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites over 2 million women for screening every year, and detects over 14,000 cancers.
Dr Emma Pennery of Breast Cancer Care says: “Breast X-rays, called mammograms, can detect tumours at a very early stage, before you’d feel a lump. The earlier it’s treated, the higher the survival rate.”
Cervical Cancer Screening
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme screens more than 3 million women each year. Cancer Research UK scientists estimate that the programme saves more than 4,500 lives in England every year. Screening is used to detect abnormal cells on the cervix. Cervical cancer is one of the few preventable cancers, because screening picks up pre-cancerous changes. Early detection and treatment can prevent up to 75% of cervical cancers.
Some people call cervical screening a cervical smear test.
Am I eligible for cervical screening? Women aged 25 to 49 (20 to 49 in Scotland and Wales) are invited for screening every three years. Women aged 50 to 64 are invited every five years.
The Pros and Cons of Screening
Pros:
- Regular screening increases the chance of spotting cancer early.
- Cervical screening can detect abnormal cells before cancer has a chance to develop.
- “Studies show that by detecting these cancers at earlier stages, treatment results are improved and lives saved,” says Dr Rob Buckman, medical oncologist and author of Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence.
Cons:
- Breast or bowel screening does not in itself protect you from cancer, so it’s important to attend each time you’re invited.
- “All screening tests sometimes yield unclear results,” says Dr Buckman.
- Dr Buckman states: “Tests may sometimes be wrong, telling you there’s cancer when there isn’t, or vice versa. So with every screening, some people may be unduly alarmed or a few falsely reassured."
Cancer screening isn't 100% reliable, and there is a chance that cancer can be missed.
There is a chance that screening may detect cancers that otherwise would not have been found or needed treatment in that person's lifetime. This means some people may have treatment they don't need. Many more people have potentially life-saving treatment.
Make sure you know as much as possible about what's involved in cancer screening, including the benefits and the risks, so that you can make the decision that's right for you.
Support
Orchid - Fighting Male Cancer
Orchid exists to save men's lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Physical, financial and emotional support to help you live life as fully as you can.
Cancer Research UK
Free information service provided by Cancer Research UK about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families.
Live Well With Cancer
Making day-to-day life a little bit better for people living with cancer.
Prostate Cancer UK
Have you or any of your loved ones recently had prostate surgery and are experiencing issues? Are you interested in meeting others who, like you, are coping with these issues?