NHS England Launches First National Advertising Campaign to Promote Breast Cancer Screenings
The initiative aims to increase mammogram attendance among women in England following a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NHS England has initiated its first national advertising campaign to encourage women across the country to participate in breast cancer screenings.
This campaign, utilizing television, radio, and online platforms, aims to highlight the importance of early detection and the potentially life-saving benefits of regular mammograms.
In England, women are invited for their initial routine mammogram between the ages of 50 and 53, with subsequent screenings occurring every three years until they reach the age of 71. After this age, women can choose to request screening.
According to NHS data, such screenings are aimed at detecting breast cancer in asymptomatic individuals, with the national program reportedly preventing around 1,300 deaths from the disease annually in the UK. Last year, the program identified cancers in 18,942 women in England, indicating the critical role of early detection in treatment effectiveness.
However, uptake of breast screenings has decreased since the pandemic, with NHS England reporting that attendance was at 64.6% for the year 2022-23, a significant drop from 71.1% observed in 2018-19. Among women receiving their first invitation for screening, the attendance rate was notably lower, at 53.7%.
To combat these declining figures, the campaign is being supported by various charities, including Breast Cancer Now and Cancer Research UK. Notable public figures, health professionals, and cancer survivors are contributing by sharing personal letters encouraging women to participate.
Newsnight anchor Victoria Derbyshire, who has personally experienced breast cancer, emphasized the importance of screenings in her appeal, stating that early detection significantly increases survival chances.
The NHS has also launched a new 'ping and book' service, which sends notifications to women via the NHS app regarding their screening eligibility.
This initiative aims to streamline the process and remind women of their screening schedules.
While recognition of breast cancer via screening is not infallible—some cancers may not be detected, or immaterial cancers may be identified—the NHS underscores the value of its screening program.
The organization projects that achieving an attendance rate of 80% by 2025-26 could lead to nearly one million additional women receiving mammograms, resulting in over 7,500 more cases of breast cancer being detected at an earlier stage.
Dame Cally Palmer, the NHS’s national cancer director, articulated that the initiative seeks to address barriers women might face, including misconceptions and competing life priorities, which may deter them from participating in routine screenings.
She noted the importance of this campaign in promoting the essential message of early detection as a vital component of overall health and survival in breast cancer cases.
This campaign, utilizing television, radio, and online platforms, aims to highlight the importance of early detection and the potentially life-saving benefits of regular mammograms.
In England, women are invited for their initial routine mammogram between the ages of 50 and 53, with subsequent screenings occurring every three years until they reach the age of 71. After this age, women can choose to request screening.
According to NHS data, such screenings are aimed at detecting breast cancer in asymptomatic individuals, with the national program reportedly preventing around 1,300 deaths from the disease annually in the UK. Last year, the program identified cancers in 18,942 women in England, indicating the critical role of early detection in treatment effectiveness.
However, uptake of breast screenings has decreased since the pandemic, with NHS England reporting that attendance was at 64.6% for the year 2022-23, a significant drop from 71.1% observed in 2018-19. Among women receiving their first invitation for screening, the attendance rate was notably lower, at 53.7%.
To combat these declining figures, the campaign is being supported by various charities, including Breast Cancer Now and Cancer Research UK. Notable public figures, health professionals, and cancer survivors are contributing by sharing personal letters encouraging women to participate.
Newsnight anchor Victoria Derbyshire, who has personally experienced breast cancer, emphasized the importance of screenings in her appeal, stating that early detection significantly increases survival chances.
The NHS has also launched a new 'ping and book' service, which sends notifications to women via the NHS app regarding their screening eligibility.
This initiative aims to streamline the process and remind women of their screening schedules.
While recognition of breast cancer via screening is not infallible—some cancers may not be detected, or immaterial cancers may be identified—the NHS underscores the value of its screening program.
The organization projects that achieving an attendance rate of 80% by 2025-26 could lead to nearly one million additional women receiving mammograms, resulting in over 7,500 more cases of breast cancer being detected at an earlier stage.
Dame Cally Palmer, the NHS’s national cancer director, articulated that the initiative seeks to address barriers women might face, including misconceptions and competing life priorities, which may deter them from participating in routine screenings.
She noted the importance of this campaign in promoting the essential message of early detection as a vital component of overall health and survival in breast cancer cases.
