Amy: 0:00

T Hello, and welcome to The Bench Report. You're listening to Amy and Ivan. Today, we're looking at the discussions around breast cancer screening, focusing on some recent trends, the challenges, and what's actually being done.

Ivan: 0:15

It's a topic with, well, quite an incredible history. We've known about breast cancer for thousands of years, back to ancient Egypt, Greece. Hippocrates even described it way back, around 400 BC. It really puts into perspective how far we've come with screening and treatment today.

Amy: 0:31

It does. The fight clearly isn't over. The reality can be quite stark. Thousands still lose their lives every year. One figure that really jumps out is that estimate, 32 deaths from breast cancer every single day. That's a constant daily loss.

Ivan: 0:46

And that number feels very real because, as the material suggests, almost everyone knows someone impacted, a mother, a sister, a friend. It touches so many families. There was even mention of a very personal story. Someone's nan delaying getting checked, maybe out of fear or embarrassment. And by the time she did, it was too late. Those stories really underline why this conversation, this awareness is so vital.

Amy: 1:08

Absolutely. And there are known risk factors highlighted. A family link is important. We know that, particularly for those of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. The statistic. One in 40 carry the BRCA gene mutation. That's significant.

Ivan: 1:21

It is. And it can lead to, what, a one in two chance of developing breast cancer before 70, if you carry it, it's quite striking.

Amy: 1:27

Thankfully, genetic screening is available for that specific risk.

Ivan: 1:31

And what's also interesting is this idea being explored, polygenic risk testing, looking beyond just single genes like BRCA. It's about looking at combinations of genes, trying to build a more detailed picture of someone's individual risk. The hope is tailoring screening frequency based on that.

Amy: 1:48

It's also crucial to remember this isn't just about older women. Breast cancer affects women, well, people. of all ages, it really emphasizes needing broad awareness, encouraging everyone to be bodyware, you know, self-checking.

Ivan: 2:01

Right. So let's talk about the current system, the standard NHS screening program. that invites women aged 50 to 70 every three years for a mammogram.

Amy: 2:10

But here's a major point of concern that came up, a really worrying drop in attendance for these appointments, nationally and specifically in areas like Bassett Law and Doncaster.

Ivan: 2:19

The figures really show the problem. Nationally, the average attendance was around 76% before the pandemic, and that dropped to about 65% by 2022. It's

Amy: 2:29

quite a fall.

Ivan: 2:29

It is. And in Bassett Law, Doncaster, it went from 78% pre-pandemic, reportedly dipping below 50% recently, Although more current local data puts uptake at 74.1% against an 80% target. But the key thing is many hospital trusts haven't bounced back to pre-COVID levels.

Amy: 2:47

And when you connect that drop in screening attendance back to survival rates, that's where the urgency really hits home.

Ivan: 2:52

Exactly. Because early detection makes a monumental difference. Catch it at stage one. The five-year survival rate is incredibly high, 98.2%, but it's not found until stage four. That drops sharply to just 26.6%. Lower screening means missing more of those early highly-tweetable cases.

Amy: 3:11

It does sound like local areas are trying to respond, though. Campaigns like Basset Law, Love Your Boobs, Get Them Checked, using local women's stories. And practical changes at hospitals in Doncaster and Basset Law. Expanded hours, timed appointments, things to make it easier to actually get screened.

Ivan: 3:27

Yes, and nationally, too. The NHS has national awareness campaigns running. Plus, there's specific work to identify higher-risk women, like those with the BRCA mutation, or maybe those who had chest radiotherapy when younger. Getting them invited for more frequent checks through programs like BRD.

Amy: 3:44

One interesting point raised was the need for more detailed local data to really pinpoint which communities have low uptake so efforts can be targeted better, improving access, maybe using those mobile screening units in rural areas, as was suggested.

Ivan: 3:59

And it's important to remember, though the focus is often on women, men can get breast cancer too, nearly 400 a year. One constituent's story brought that up. Awareness is key for everyone.

Amy: 4:10

There's also that debate around the age 70 cutoff for automatic invitations. Some are arguing quite strongly it should go, making the case that treating late-stage cancer costs far more than extending screening invitations would.

Ivan: 4:23

Looking ahead, the UK National Screening Committee is looking at some really interesting research, things like the BRAID trial, exploring better screening for women with denser breasts, which can make mammograms harder to interpret, and the AGEX trial, directly looking at adding screens before 50 and after 70, plus It's the Edith study, using AI to help read mammograms, potentially speeding things up significantly.

Amy: 4:45

AI. Interesting.

Ivan: 4:47

All part of the upcoming National Cancer Plan, apparently.

Amy: 4:50

So here's something for you to think about. Considering these possibilities, AI reading scans, maybe screening different age groups, tailoring risk using more complex genetics, how might breast cancer screening look fundamentally different in the years ahead? And what could that mean for catching cancer earlier across the country?

Ivan: 5:07

As always, find us on social media at Bench Report UK. Get in touch with any topic important to you. Remember, politics is everyone's business. Take care.