Screening advice

  • Hertfordshire Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening

    Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening is being offered free of charge by the NHS to all men in our area and a screening clinic is conveniently located in Cheshunt.
    This is being offered to all men during the year of their 65th birthday. Men aged over 65 years who have not been screened can self refer.

    Phone
    01727 897719

    Websites
    Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

    Population screening programmes: NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) programme

  • Breast screening

    Who is it for?
    Women aged 50 – 70 years (registered with a GP)
    Self-referral over 70

    What is the test?
    Mammogram – 2 x-rays of each breast

    Where?
    At special clinics or mobile breast screening units
    Telephone: 01582 497599

    The Benefits of Breast Cancer Screening
    Evidence suggests breast screening reduces the number of deaths from
    breast cancer by about 1,300 a year in the UK.
    Breast cancers found by screening are generally at an early stage. Early
    stage breast cancers are more likely to be cured and may need less
    treatment.
    99% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest
    stage (stage I) survive their cancer for 5 years or more.

    Information for women who may have missed an invitation to a screen
    Some women aged between 70 and 79 are being offered the opportunity for a breast screen. This is because some women did not receive an invitation for a final screen, as part of the routine NHS Breast Screening Programme.
    The Breast Screening Programme usually invites women to have a screen once every 3 years when aged between 50 and 70 (up to their 71st birthday). This means women will usually receive their final screen sometime between their 68th and 71st birthdays.

    All affected women registered with a GP will receive a letter by the end of May with further information.

    Phone
    0800 169 2692

    Website
    Breast screening (mammogram) – NHS

  • Bowel screening

    Men and women aged 60–74yrs are invited every 2 years
    Over 74 can request a kit
    FOBt kit received in the post
    One off bowel scope test at 55yrs
    Must be registered with a GP practice to receive invitation

    Where?
    Kit and invitation received in post
    Kit is completed at home and sent to the hub (please see practical tips diagrams below)

    What happens then?
    Screening hub (Nottingham) analyses the kit
    Test detects tiny amounts of blood in the sample of poo
    The FOBt does not diagnose bowel cancer

    How to use
    Instructions on how to use the home test kits provided by the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP):
    www.gov.uk/bowel-cancer-screening-kit-how-to-use

    Phone
    0800 707 60 60

    Website
    Bowel cancer screening – NHS

  • Cervical screening

    Try not to put off cervical screening. It’s one of the best ways to protect yourself from cervical cancer.

    Women aged 25-64yrs
    Invited every 3 years age 25-49 and every 5 years age 50-64
    Cytology with HPV triage


    The results
    Result unclear: women are asked to repeat the test
    Results show mild cell changes: In England the sample is checked for HPV. If it is HPV positive, women will be invited for a colposcopy. If it is HPV negative, the woman will be returned to routine screening.
    Results show moderate to severe changes: women will be invited for a colposcopy.

    The Benefits of cervical screening
    Saves at least 2,000 lives each year in the UK.
    Benefit of screening on cervical cancer risk increases with age.
    The cervical screening programme started in the late 1980s and since the early 1990s cervical cancer incidence rates have decreased by almost a quarter in the UK.

    Phone
    0203 682 0890

    Website
    Cervical screening – NHS