Page last updated: 29-JUL-2008

Breast Screening

National Statistics. Link to further information on National Statistics.Statistical Publication Notice

29 July 2008

Scottish Breast Screening Programme Statistics 2006/07

INTRODUCTION

The Scottish Breast Screening Programme is a part of a UK-wide programme of free mammographic screening for breast cancer, which was set up in 1988 with the aim of reducing mortality.

Until recently, women aged 50-64 years were invited for a routine screen once every three years. The age range for invitation has now been extended to include women up to the age of 70 years.  The expansion which began in 2003-04 is being phased in throughout Scotland over a three year round of screening.

Within Scotland (as part of the Scottish Breast Screening Programme) information and performance data are compiled by ISD on an annual basis. The NHSBSP performance standards, which are a series of objectives under which minimum and target standards are specified, are the means by which this information is evaluated. The NHSBSP performance standards are for women aged 50-64 and, for statistical purposes will be extended to include women up to the age of 70 when the programme expansion is complete.

The current release includes data to 31 March 2007.

KEY POINTS

At 31st March 2007:
  • 75.7% of women aged 50-64 resident in Scotland had been screened once in the previous three years, compared with 76.4% at 31st March 2006.
  • Looking at three year rolling attendance figures, uptake continues to rise from 76.2% at 31st March 2006 to 76.5% at 31st March 2007.
  • All NHS Boards met the minimum attendance standard of >70% of women invited during the previous three years.
  • In previous years the majority of NHSBSP minimum performance standards were met or exceeded and in 2006-07, for the first time, all 11 NHSBSP minimum performance standards were achieved.
  • The proportion of cancers diagnosed pre-operatively has increased from 67.7% to 94.7% in the last 10 years.
In 2006-07:
  • Over 166,000 women of all ages were screened within the programme.
  • 1,395 cases of cancer were diagnosed in women of all ages, of which 893 were diagnosed in women aged 50-64.

DETAILED FINDINGS

For the first time in Scotland, all of the eleven NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) performance standards are being achieved including uptake, cancer detection, recall for assessment and early recall rates.  In previous years the majority of NHSBSP performance standards were met or exceeded.
 
Women are invited to attend screening once every three years. Looking at three year rolling attendance figures, uptake continues to rise from 76.2% at 31st March 2006 to 76.5% at 31st March 2007, meeting the minimum standard of >70%.
Over 166,300 women of all ages were screened within the programme. This compares to over 166,000 in 2005-06 and 155,500 in 2004-05. This increase over the past 3 years may be due, at least in part,  to a phased extension of the age range for routine invitation (from 50-64 to 50-70 years), which started in 2003.
 
The number of invasive cancers diagnosed, per 1000 women screened via routine appointments, has increased from 5.3 in 2002-03 to 6.6 in 2006-07.
 
The proportion of cancers diagnosed pre-operatively has increased from 67.7% to 94.7% in the last 10 years. Due to the development of radiological biopsy techniques over this time period, 94.7% of women screened who have a breast cancer were diagnosed by radiological biopsy within the screening centre, rather than requiring diagnostic surgery. Therefore the number of women requiring two operations, diagnostic as well as therapeutic, has been significantly reduced.
 
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MAIN CONTACTS:

Donna Nicholson
Statistician
0141 282 2083
Donna.Nicholson@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Susan Jensen
Principal Statistician
0131 275 6125
Susan.Jensen@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

National Services Division
NHS National Services Scotland
Chief Executives of the Scottish NHS Healthboards
Scottish Government Health Directorates
 
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HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: 31 July 2007
Next Due: July 2009
Data Avaliable Since: Attendance data are available from the start of the screening programme in 1991

 


Main contact: Email Donna Nicholson