If you receive an NHS breast screening invitation, please respond as soon as possible. Screening saves lives.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the month we want to encourage women to attend their breast screening or remind them to book an appointment if they have been invited.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, but younger women can also get breast cancer. As the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women who are 50 to 70 years old are invited for breast cancer screening every 3 years.
Women over the age of 70 are also entitled to screening and can arrange an appointment through their GP or local screening unit.
Find breast cancer screening services near you
Breast screening or mammographic screening is when X-ray images of the breast are taken and is the most common way of finding any abnormal changes in your breast tissue at an early stage. If cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated before it spreads to other parts of the body.
Find out more about breast cancer screening.
About one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There's a good chance of recovery if it's detected at an early stage.
For this reason, it's vital that women check their breasts regularly for any changes and always have any changes examined by a GP.
Finding cancer early can make it more treatable. #ClearOnCancer
