Women's Health

Breast Screening

Breast screening is a method of detecting breast cancer at a very early stage. This involves taking an x-ray of each breast called a mammogram. The x-ray is taken while carefully compressing the breast, and some women find this a bit uncomfortable but not painful. The mammogram can detect small changes in the breast tissue which may indicate cancers that are too small to be felt by the woman herself or a doctor.

The NHS currently offers breast screening to all women from aged 50 onwards every 3 years. Because the programme is a rolling one not all women will receive at invitation as soon as they reach 50, but they will all be invited by the time they reach their 53rd birthday.

Nearly 50% of women invited for breast screening in Southwark don’t go. Every woman aged 50 and 70 registered with a GP in Southwark is routinely sent an invitation to have a free mammogram every three years. This means going along to the breast screening unit in Camberwell in the centre of the borough to have the x-ray. In the great majority of cases their breasts are found to be absolutely normal. But if a cancer is detected, it’s usually very tiny and there’s every chance it will be successfully treated. Breast screening is simple, quick, accurate and free.

We would strongly advise all women to attend for mammography.
 
Our local screening centre is located at 8 Butterfly Walk, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8RW, Telephone no 0207 252 7001.

A useful website for further information about the Breast Screening Programme is www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk

Cervical Screening

Having regular smear tests is part of the NHS national Cancer Screening Programme.

A smear test is not a test for cancer, it is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which if left untreated might lead to cancer of the cervix. A small sample of cells from the cervix ( neck of the womb) is taken by a nurse or doctor and this is then sent to the hospital for examination.

The procedure involves inserting a small instrument called a speculum into the vagina to allow the nurse to see the cervix, and then a small soft brush is used to take a sample of cells. The procedure is completely painless.

It normally takes about 4 weeks to receive the result of a smear, if there is a minor abnormality it may simply be followed up by more frequent smears to monitor the situation, at other times a referral for a more detailed examination of the cervix called a colposcopy might be advised.

Currently all women in Southwark are invited for a smear every 3 years starting at age 21 and continuing until 65yrs.

We strongly advise all women to avail of this screening programme .If you are unsure if you are due a smear please make an appointment to see our practice nurse who can advise you.

A useful website for further information about cervical screening is www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk

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