Hello All
This month in our ‘Health in Focus’ posts, we’re looking at ways to promote earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer. In the last three weeks, we’ve posted an overview of some aspects of screening (healthunlocked.com/ovacome/... ) and some information about using diagnostic and other tests for screening (healthunlocked.com/ovacome/... and healthunlocked.com/ovacome/... Today we’ll look at existing screening programmes for other types of cancer which you may be asked to participate in, and how decisions are made about screening.
As we mentioned in our earlier posts, screening means testing for early signs of a body change, before symptoms develop. In the UK there are currently three cancer screening programmes for breast, bowel and cervical cancer.
In England breast cancer screening is offered to women every three years from the age of 50 to 71 and they can ask to continue beyond the age of 71. It involves using an x-ray machine to take images called mammograms of the breasts and look for abnormal changes which could be an early sign of cancer.
Changes inside the breasts that could be signs of a developing cancer may be visible on a mammogram before there are noticeable symptoms such as a lump. Finding these early changes could mean that cancer is diagnosed when it is easier to treat effectively, which improves survival. You can find more information at gov.uk/government/publicati...
Bowel cancer screening in England is offered every two years to anyone aged between 60 and 74 who is registered with a GP. If you’re eligible for screening, you will be sent a sample kit to use at home and post back for testing. You provide a small stool sample, which is tested for traces of blood.
Blood in the stool can occur for many reasons. It can be a sign of cancer or of polyps, small growths in the bowel that can develop into cancer. Regular screening reduces the risk of dying from bowel cancer by helping to diagnose more cancers at an earlier stage, or remove polyps before they become cancerous (nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-can... ). You can find more information at gov.uk/government/publicati...
Cervical screening (smear testing) is offered to people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64. Depending on your age and the results of your previous tests, it is offered annually or every three or five years. It involves taking a sample of cells from the cervix and testing it.
First, the sample is tested for types of virus called high risk HPV (human papilloma virus), which can cause changes to the cells of the cervix. If the virus is found, the cells are then examined for any changes that have the potential to develop into cancer. The cells aren’t examined if the virus isn’t found, because the risk is very low. Finding cell changes before they develop into cancer can enable treatment to be given and prevent cancer. You can find out more about cervical screening at nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-...
As these are screening tests and not diagnostic, if any abnormality is found it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person has cancer. Further investigations are needed to find out what the abnormal result means. For example, if there is blood in a sample provided for bowel cancer screening, a camera examination of the bowel (colonoscopy) may be done to identify the cause of the bleeding and any treatment needed.
No medical test, including screening, is completely accurate, and changes can develop in between screenings, so screening isn’t a substitute for seeking medical advice about any new symptoms. If you’re experiencing any changes in your body that are new for you and are persisting, it’s important to see your GP and not wait until your next screening test.
As you can see, screening is offered to certain groups rather than to the general population. These groups are generally defined by age, because age is an important risk factor for the cancers being screened. If your risk of any of these cancers is increased because you have been found to have a genetic alteration or because of your family history, you may be offered screening even if you aren’t within one of those age groups. You can read more about the options for reducing your risk if you carry the BRCA or Lynch syndrome gene changes at ovarian.org.uk/ovarian-canc...
Screening is offered to specific groups because it’s important to make sure that people are only offered the test if the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks. The risks of harm from inaccurate test results are considered alongside the risks of developing cancer and will vary between different groups.
As we explained in our post about screening for ovarian cancer using the tests currently used for diagnosis, there is a large study called ‘UKCTOCS’ which is due to report its final results later this year. The results will help to determine whether a screening programme for ovarian cancer will be introduced and, if so, who will be eligible for screening.
In the UK, the body responsible for reviewing the evidence on screening programmes is called the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). They advise ministers and the NHS about which programmes should be introduced, maintained or discontinued.
The UK NSC usually update their recommendations every three years, but they can review sooner that this if significant evidence is published and they’re asked to bring forward their next review. There is more information about the work of the UK NCS at gov.uk/government/publicati...
You can read more about screening for ovarian cancer in our information booklet at ovacome.org.uk/screening-fo... For information about NHS screening programmes for transgender and non-binary people, see gov.uk/government/publicati...
Finally, I have some news to share with the forum, which is that I’m leaving Ovacome to start a new role elsewhere. This will therefore be my last Health in Focus post for the forum. The Support Team will continue the posts in the future after a short break, so please let us know if there are any topics that you’d like us to write about. I’d like to thank you all for reading and commenting on these posts and for making the forum such a supportive and helpful space for all of our members.
If you would like more information about screening for ovarian cancer, please get in touch with our Support Service on 0800 008 7054 or at support@ovacome.org.uk.
Best wishes
Julia
Ovacome Support
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