Breast screening
What is breast screening?
Breast screening is a way of detecting breast cancers when they are small, and often before they can be felt by the woman herself or by a doctor. Breast cancers that are detected at an early stage are treated more successfully and respond to a wider range of treatment.
The first stage of screening is an x-ray examination of each breast. This is called a mammogram.
Why have breast screening?
Breast cancer is a major cause of death in women. The Forrest Report in Britain in 1986 recommended breast screening for all women over the age of 50, as research showed that screening made a substantial impact on breast cancer deaths. The Jersey Breast Screening Programme was set up in response to this report in 1990.
The current estimate from the Cancer Screening Evaluation Unit is that between 2005 and 2010 the UK Breast Screening Programme should reduce breast cancer deaths by 25% or more.
Who is eligible for breast screening?
All women over the age of 50 are eligible for breast screening.
How can I make an appointment for breast screening?
You can make appointments either directly with the department or through your GP.
If you're aged over 75, you should talk to your GP first. They can refer you for mammography if they think it is appropriate.
Where is breast screening performed?
Breast screening takes place in the mammography unit, which is in the Le Quesne Unit of the Jersey General Hospital.
Le Quesne Unit can be reached by taking the lift in the Parade entrance to the second floor and following the signs.
Are there any problems or risks associated with breast screening?
The most common concerns about breast screening are:
- anxiety about the result
- experiencing pain whilst being screened
- anxiety about radiation from x-rays
We make every effort to reduce any anxiety that is caused by the screening process, but unfortunately this is often an inevitable effect of screening.
Most women find mammography moderately uncomfortable but acceptable. Occasionally some women find it extremely painful and are unable to tolerate the procedure.
Mammography only requires a low dose of radiation. The dose involved in mammography in Jersey is less than 2mGy (as recommended in quality assurance guidelines). The risk of inducing a breast cancer is approximately 1,000 times lower than the overall risk of developing a breast cancer for women over the age of 50.
Breast awareness
As is the case for all other medical tests, mammography is not 100% accurate. In Jersey, approximately 20% of cancers will be found by other means than mammography screening and in view of this you should be 'breast aware'.
Breast awareness advice encourages women to become more aware of their bodies and to get to know their own breasts.
If you're in your mid-20s or older, then you should be breast aware. This will help you to acquaint yourself with your breasts at different times in the menstrual cycle and help you to be aware of any changes.
There is no scientific evidence that a more formal routine self-examination performed at the same time each month reduces the death rate from breast cancer, nor is there evidence that this is more effective than a more relaxed breast awareness.
Any change should be reported to your GP as soon as possible.
What should I be looking for?
There is no such thing as a standard breast, and what is normal for 1 woman may not be for another. Every woman’s breasts will also look and feel different over time depending on the time of month and the age of the woman.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme and the Cancer Research Campaign recommend:
- knowing what is normal for you
- looking at and feeling your breasts
- knowing what changes to look for
- reporting any change without delay
- attending breast screening if over 50
Are there any alternatives to breast screening?
Mammography is not universally accepted, even in the medical profession. Authors such as Professor M Baum and Professor Skrabenek have considered that clinical detection should be used instead of mass population screening.
In Jersey we have shown that mammographic screening detected cancers on average 50% smaller than those found in breast clinic patients who had not been screened mammographically.
If you don't think that mammographic screening is appropriate for you, breast awareness would be the currently recommended alternative.
What are the results of the Jersey programme?
The programme runs strict quality control checks and submits its results to the Cancer Screening Evaluation Unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Surrey. It is also overseen by the chairman of the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme Quality Assurance Committee. We have consistently achieved the targets of cancer detection established by this committee.
The Jersey Breast Screening Programme is also measured against the standards for the NHS Breast Screening Programme each year.
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Download results year ending March 31 2009 (size 52kb)
Download results year ending March 31 2008 (size 22kb)
Download results year ending March 31 2007 (size 52kb)
Download results year ending March 31 2006 (size 52kb)