Breast cancer screening
All women between 50 and 70 are invited for breast screening (a mammogram) every three years. You’ll get a letter through the post and be invited to either your regional breast screening centre or one of the mobile units.
If you’re eligible and have missed or not attended a screening appointment, don’t worry; all you need to do is call your regional screening centre to rearrange a time that suits you best.
Attending breast screening is a personal choice. Breast screening aims to find cancers at an earlier stage when they are too small to see or feel. Breast cancers found early are usually easier to treat, may need less treatment and are more likely to be cured. One in seven women will develop breast cancer but you’re five times more likely to survive breast cancer if it’s found in its earliest stage.
expands the full quotation and moves focus to the start of the 2nd paragraph, so you can continue to read the full quoteBreast cancer remains the commonest cancer in Scottish women with one in seven women developing the disease. As a result of new targeted treatments and detecting breast cancer early the survival from breast cancer is constantly improving.
More women survive breast cancer today than ever before. The majority can be treated by lumpectomy and radiotherapy avoiding mastectomy. Breast symptoms are very common and frightening. We all know that a lump can indicate breast cancer but other changes may also indicate breast cancer.
If you have any of the symptoms mention on this site, please contact your GP practice. If you are over 50 then look out for your breast screening invitation. Although you may be scared remember that earlier diagnosis can lead to a better outcome.
Women over the age of 50 are at an increased risk of breast cancer – if this is you, compare your breasts to the images on this site and contact your GP practice if you have any worries or concerns at all
Breast screening involves having X-ray images taken of your breasts, this is called a mammogram. Two views of each breast will be taken to ensure all parts of the breast tissue can be examined.
Breast screening is always carried out by a female mammographer. For some women the process of having a mammogram can be uncomfortable, but this part should only take a couple of seconds and you can ask the mammographer to stop at any time. In fact, the whole appointment takes a matter of minutes and it could save your life.
Find out what to expect at your breast screening appointment with this short video.
For more information visit nhsinform.scot
Real stories
Although we were so worried, hearing it was treatable helped us deal with her diagnosis... I’m so glad she chose not to shy away from her mammogram appointments, and to this day feel very lucky that she was diagnosed so early on.
As well as regularly attending breast screening appointments it’s also important to continue to check your breasts for any changes.
If you notice any unusual, persistent changes, your GP practice wants to know.