By Dr Mairead O'Connor, Research Officer, National Screening Service
A new online survey carried out by the National Screening Service shows that 4 in 5 women attend breast screening when invited to do so. Over 500 women aged 50 to 69 took part in the survey aimed at understanding women’s knowledge and awareness of breast screening and breast cancer.
Knowledge about breast screening
Overall, half of women felt they had good levels of knowledge around breast screening.
- 7 in 10 women agreed regular breast screening is extremely important.
- Most women (9 in 10) know that it is possible for breast cancer to develop between screenings.
- 7 in 10 women know that breast screening is for women with no symptoms.
Motivators
The main motivation to attend for screening was receiving the invitation letter from the screening programme. Over half of respondents (54%) said peace of mind is a motivator to attend.
Barriers
Survey participants were asked what they thought the main barriers or challenges might be to women attending breast screening. While over 80% of survey participants attend breast screening when invited to do so, 6 in 10 women said a fear of finding something wrong could be a barrier. Half of respondents said finding the screening process uncomfortable could be a barrier.
Breast cancer knowledge
Just over half of women (51%) felt they had good knowledge about breast cancer. Overall, there were high levels of awareness around the factors that increase the risk of developing breast cancer:
- 8 in 10 women recognised smoking as a risk factor
- 7 in 10 recognised alcohol consumption as a risk factor
- 6 in 10 women recognised being overweight as a risk factor.
Symptoms
There were high levels of knowledge about breast cancer symptoms with over 9 in 10 women correctly identifying a lump in the breast, lump or swelling in the armpit, unusual discharge from the nipple, a change in the appearance of the nipple, and a change in shape or size of the breast.
9 in 10 women watch out for symptoms of breast cancer. However, only half of those surveyed felt confident in their ability to spot the symptoms of breast cancer.
Conclusion
Overall, women are well-informed about breast screening, the factors that increase the risk of breast cancer developing and the symptoms of this cancer. Empowering women to be more confident in their ability to spot breast cancer symptoms is important. Receiving invitations from BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme works well in encouraging women to attend when invited.
- The research was carried out in February and March 2023 by Behaviour & Attitudes, on behalf of the National Screening Service.
- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, we’re encouraging women to choose screening and take up their BreastCheck appointment when invited for the first time. Breast screening helps to find breast cancer early when it can be easier to treat.
- BreastCheck is for women aged 50 to 69 who have no symptoms of breast cancer. Check, update or join the breast screening register.
- Angela Walton was diagnosed with breast cancer after her first screening with BreastCheck in March 2023. Read Angela’s story.
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