Routine breast screening for under-50's gains popularity
The Princess Grace Hospital
With so much attention on the need to be aware of the danger of breast cancer with Breast Awareness Month highlighting it to be the most common form of cancer to affect women, many younger women may be wondering where they can go to check out their breasts.
Women under 50 years old are not normally able to gain routine breast screening under the current NHS programme; in fact, 52 is the average age for women to receive their first invitation for free breast screening, which continues to age 70.
Yet there is increasing evidence that the earlier breast cancer can be identified the greater is the chance of eradication and much reduced mortality - and the cancer is at its most aggressive in younger women.
Part of the problem is that conventional mammograms are less able to identify tumours and cysts in pre-menopausal women because their breasts are made up of dense tissue, which the X-ray is unable to penetrate.
Full field digital mammography equipment, such as that available at The Princess Grace Hospital Breast Assessment Centre in central London, is particularly suited for young women, because the computerised screen image produced can be manipulated and enhanced to reveal any potential problem, even where no lump or other indication has been apparent.
The Princess Grace Hospital at Nottingham Place was the first in the country to install this expensive digital equipment and it is still both one of very few in the country to have it available, and the only hospital in the private sector.
Women from all over the country - Scotland to Cornwall - have taken advantage of the Hospital's routine screening service every 12 to 18 months from age 40. Even nine out of ten women at the Centre aged 50+ have opted for digital screening, because it enables a clear assessment of breasts, and provides immediate reporting with the X-ray image appearing on the screen within seconds.
If a breast ultrasound or aspiration is needed these can be usually arranged by the Breast Assessment Centre on the same day, with results passed to the patient's GP within 24 hours.
The Hospital's comprehensive service extends from radiology to reconstructive surgery and its multi-disciplinary approach to patient care means that specialists - surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, breast care nurse and pathologists - discuss with women their treatment plan before and after any necessary surgery.
According to Cancer Research UK, regular mammography screening reduces death from breast cancer by up to 50 per cent. And 41,000 new cases annually are diagnosed in the UK, with 1 in 5 women being under 50 years old!
The Princess Grace Hospital charge of £185 for a routine screening digital mammography seems a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Almost always, women consult their GP in the first instance, but direct self-referral is possible after preliminary discussion and examination with a doctor at the hospital, and the relationship between GPs and their patient is also maintained.
Appointments can be made within 24 hours and can even be outside of normal Centre hours (9am to 6pm) by arrangement.
Digital mammography in action at The Princess Grace Hospital Breast Assessment Centre
A high-resolution colour image of the equipment is available on request
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