Initial breast cancer screening hits 10-year low

The percentage of women in England going for an initial breast cancer screening has fallen to a ten-year low.

This is according to new figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which showed that 63.3 percent of women aged between 50 and 70 took advantage of an initial invitation for a screening during 2014-15. In 2004-05, the figure stood at 70.1 percent.

Screening coverage – the overall amount checked – stood at 75.4 percent as of March 31st 2015 and is also in decline. However, the figure is still above the NHS Cancer Screening Programme's minimum standard of 70 per cent.

Public Health England's director of screening Dr Anne Mackie acknowledged there has been "a downward trend".

"The fall in attendance is most notable in women receiving their first invitation and we are working hard with our NHS and community colleagues to understand why this might be and make the programme accessible to all women who wish to be screened," she stated.