Hospital launches breast screening awareness video to help save lives

A hospital has launched a breast screening awareness video to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast Screening Saves Lives: Hear Our Stories, has been made by King’s College Hospital and features patients from across South-east London talking about their experiences of having a screening. 

The hospital aims to highlight the importance of breast screening to enable the early detection and treatment of cancer.

Dr Juliet Morel, consultant radiologist and director of screening at King’s, said: “Nearly half of all women invited to breast screening in London do not take up the offer, and those who miss their first screening are more likely to miss subsequent ones. 

“This means that thousands of women are at risk of missing that window where we can treat breast cancer early, and give the best chance of cure.”

King’s College Hospital, in Denmark Hill, provides breast screening for those living in the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

Roughly one in 100 people who attend screenings are diagnosed with breast cancer, and between 90 and 95 per cent of people diagnosed at an early stage will survive for at least five years, Dr Morel said.

She explained: “Breast screening can detect early changes to the breast tissue, often long before physical changes appear. For those who are eligible, breast screening should be top of their to-do list.”

Although screening uptake in South-east London is better than some other parts of the capital, it is still lower than the NHS target of 70 per cent, and is notably lower among some groups, such as black African and south Asian women.     

Francesca Fiennes, health promotion specialist in the South-east London Breast Screening Programme, said: “We often don’t get to hear about patient stories, particularly from those from a diverse background. 

“We created this video to provide something relatable for people living in south-east London, and to share uplifting stories. If there’s one message we want to get across, it’s that breast screening saves lives. The people who feature in the video are testament to that.”

Pictured top: A still from Breast Screening Saves Lives: Hear Our Stories showing Jenifer who shares her experience (Picture: Kings College Hospital)