NHS Screening could save your life

EVERY YEAR in the UK, tens of thousands of lives are saved because cancers are identified early or prevented through the NHS’s bowel, breast, and cervical screening programmes.

Dr Jo Ruwende, cancer screening lead for NHS London, says: “Cancer screening saves lives and I urge everyone to take part when they receive their invitation.

WHAT IS NHS SCREENING?

“Screening can identify problems you might not have noticed. A positive screening result may not mean you have cancer but we need to investigate to see if you have another problem, or something we need to treat to prevent it developing into cancer.

“Sometimes, we detect cancer earlier when it’s easier to treat and your chance of recovery is better.”

BOWEL CANCER SCREENING

People in England aged from 60 to 74 years will receive a Faecal Immunochemical test (FIT) home testing kit in the post. Over time, this will include people aged 50 to 59 years, and those aged 75 and over can also ask for one.

You use the kit to take a small sample of poo which is put into a tube to post back to the 1HS. It’s then tested for small traces of blood, a possible sign of cancer, that are not visible by eye. The presence of blood doesn’t mean you have bowel cancer, but further tests might be required to determine the cause.

“People who complete bowel cancer screening are less likely to die of bowel cancer,” says Jo – an estimated 9 out of 10 will survive when it is caught early.

“But not everyone invited will do their test,” she adds.

“People can think it’s not important because it’s something they do at home. 2r they might feel uncomfortable about taking a sample of poo. But it’s actually very simple and full instructions are included and online at nhs.uk. You don’t even need a stamp to return it.”

BREAST SCREENING

Women are offered breast screening every three years between the ages of 50 to 70, while women aged 71 and over can self-refer for screening once every three years.

“It’s really important our community understands that breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, and one of the most significant risk factors is age,” adds Jo. “So, when you start receiving breast screening invitations, I urge you to go. Please don’t let fear or embarrassment stop you, breast cancer screening saves lives.

“nhs.uk has lots of information about what will happen at your screening appointment. This includes how female staff will carry out the mammography, which is a type of X-ray.”

CERVICAL SCREENING

Cervical screening has made cervical cancer one of the most preventable cancers. Yet, 2,700 women in England are diagnosed each year.

Sometimes called a smear test, screening is offered to all women who are aged 25 to 64. It looks for certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that can lead to cancer of the cervix, the opening to the womb.

Samples are checked for high-risk HPV first and then any abnormal cells. If you have a negative HPV result, your risk of cervical cancer is very low – HPV DNA is found in more than 99% of cervical cancers. If you have a positive result and abnormal cells, your results letter will explain what needs to happen next.

WHAT IS HPV?

HPV is a group of common, symptomless viruses that are easily transmitted by skin-to-skin contact during sex. HPV usually goes away on its own, but it can also cause abnormal cells to develop which can turn into cancer.

“Some women might think they don’t need to attend their screening because they don’t have sex with men or haven’t for a long time,” says Jo. “But if you have a cervix and have had any kind of sexual contact at any time, you should go for your NHS cervical screening.

“It can be a shock to find out you have HPV, but it doesn’t mean you have cancer and it doesn’t mean a partner has been unfaithful. You can have HPV even if you’ve only ever had one partner, been intimate only once or not had sex for a long time. Most people will have it at some point without even knowing.”

HPV VACCINATION

Children aged 12 to 13 are routinely offered vaccination against HPV. If you are aged under 25 and have not been vaccinated against HPV, you can ask your GP practice for help to access it now. After having your HPV vaccine, you will still be invited for cervical screening to check for abnormalities as the vaccine does not protect against all strands of HPV.

HOW TO ACCESS SCREENING

Most people registered with a GP will automatically be invited for cancer screening. If you have a cervix but are not registered as female with your GP, you will need to request cervical screening because you won’t receive regular invitations. Trans or non-binary people who are registered with their GP practice as male are not routinely invited for breast screening but can request this, if appropriate.

If you’ve missed out on screening, contact your GP practice or the service listed on your invite, to rearrange it. If you live in the UK but aren’t registered with a GP, you may be able to access cervical screening through a sexual health or walk in centre.

For more information about eligibility and how to access free NHS screening, visit: www.nhs.uk.

Pictured: Dr Jo Ruwende, Cancer Screening Lead for NHS London

If you are anxious or have additional needs, talk to your GP practice, or charities such as Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and the Caribbean and African Health Network (CAHN). You can also hear more from Dr. Jo Ruwende about NHS screening via her recent podcast with Affinity Xtra.

  • Hear more from Dr Ruwende in this podcast with The Edge host Roger Moore on Affinity Xtra, or search Affinity Xtra at www.YouTube.com/@AffinityXtra

TAKE ACTION ON CANCER

 “Please talk to your doctor as soon as possible if something doesn’t feel right. Especially if you think it might be cancer,” says Jo. For example, a cough lasting over three weeks, blood in your urine or poo, an urgent or frequent need to urinate, unusual lumps and bumps, changes to your skin, moles, or a persistent sore.

YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH

Anne, 42, didn’t think she needed cervical screening as she’d been in a long-term relationship with her wife before they’d married.

“It had been over 15 years since I’d last been screened,” she explains, “However, my periods were heavy and my sisters told me that all women needed to go for screening.

“After my screening appointment in spring 2021, I fretted I had cancer. Instead, I was told I had HPV and ‘abnormal’ cells had been detected.

“I had a colposcopy in hospital that summer. A sample of cells were taken from my cervix and the remainder of the abnormal cells were removed by laser.

“The sample cells were found to be ‘moderate to high-grade’ and were highly likely to have progressed to cancer had they not been removed. Pretty quickly I had a follow-up check and abnormal cells were found again and removed.

“I had a follow-up meeting with my consultant where, after an honest and supportive chat about the fact I still had HPV and a risk of high-grade cells returning, I decided the best thing for me was a hysterectomy.

“After having this in July 2022, I needed six weeks off work and couldn’t do much physically. I don’t regret my decision. Cervical screening saved my life and I persuaded my wife to go for her first ever screening too. Please don’t let fear, embarrassment, or ignorance stop you. Your health is your wealth.”

GET PROTECTED THIS WINTER

All adults and most children have been offered vaccination against COVID-19 with over-50s, frontline health and care staff and others at greater risk eligible for a booster dose this winter. Many of the same people, and some children, are also eligible for a flu vaccine each year.

Find out which vaccinations are recommended at: www.nhs.uk/wintervaccinations or visit a vaccination walk-in centre

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