Screening

The NHS offers three cancer screening programmes: cervical, breast, and bowel. Depending on your age and risk, you may be invited to a screening appointment to check for cancer and other diseases.

You do not need to have symptoms to attend a screening appointment.

If you do have symptoms you think may be cancer, you can still be tested. If you notice any changes to your body, or have any concerns, speak to your doctor.

Breast screening (mammogram) is an x-ray of your breasts that checks for cancers that are too small to see or feel. Anyone registered with an NHS doctor as female will be invited for breast screening every three years between the ages of 50 and 71.

Trans and non-binary people assigned female at birth who are registered with a doctor as male are not routinely invited for breast screening but should request screening via their surgery.

Breast screening may be done at a breast screening clinic, often within a hospital or at a mobile breast screening unit – these could be in lots of different locations, such as in a supermarket car park. You will usually get instructions on how to find the clinic or screening unit when you book your appointment.

Breast screening saves about 1 life from breast cancer for every 200 women who are screened. This adds up to about 1,300 lives saved from breast cancer each year in the UK.

Breast screening saves lives: hear stories

Depending on your age and risk, you may be invited to a breast screening appointment to check for cancer and other diseases. The first invitation will arrive sometime between your 50th and 53rd birthday.  It’s important to attend these screenings when you’re invited, as they can help pick up on symptoms early.

If you are trans or non-binary people assigned female at birth and not registered at a surgery as female you will not receive a letter inviting you for screening, so should make an appointment with your doctor’s surgery.

Remember, breast screening is for people who do not have symptoms. If you have symptoms or have noticed anything that is not normal for you, tell your doctor – don’t wait for a cancer screening invitation.

Cervical screening, sometimes known as a smear test, is a way of checking the health of your cervix and can help prevent cervical cancer and find abnormal cells that cause other cancers.

Your cervix is the neck of your womb which connects the womb to the vagina. Anyone with a cervix can get cervical cancer including trans and non-binary people with a cervix. Though it can affect people of any age, it is most common between the ages of 30-34.

Everyone with a cervix aged between 25-64 will be invited to book a free screening appointment every 3 to 5 years.  You can do this through your doctor or your local sexual health clinic.

Trans and non-binary people assigned female at birth who are registered with a doctor as male are not routinely invited for cervical screening but should request screening if they retain their cervix.

Remember, cancer screening is for people who do not have symptoms. If you have symptoms or have noticed anything that is not normal for you, tell your doctor – don’t wait for a cancer screening invitation.

Cervical screening is not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer. During the screening appointment, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix. The sample is checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells of your cervix. These are called “high risk” types of HPV.

If these types of HPV are not found, you do not need any further tests. If these types of HPV are found, the sample is checked for any changes in the cells of your cervix. These can be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer. The nurse or doctor will tell you when you can expect your results letter.

Even if you have had your HPV vaccine, you should still attend your cervical screening appointment.

Should I go for cervical screening? – Cancer Research UK

Don’t fear the smear – what happens when you attend a cervical screening?

During your screening a small sample of cells is taken from your cervix for testing by a nurse or doctor (usually female). This video will show you what happens at your cervical screening appointment.

Cervical screening – how it’s done

A guide to cervical screening with Makaton signing

When booking your appointment with your doctor you can specifically ask for a female doctor or nurse if that would make you more comfortable, you can also have a family member, friend or chaperone present during the screening. You can even book a double appointment so you have more time to relax. The best way to manage nerves before your cervical screening is to talk through any concerns with your doctor and then with the doctor or nurse who will be conducting the examination, as they will put you at ease as best they can.

Don’t fear the smear: Answering the embarrassing questions

Bowel cancer can affect anyone, whatever your age, gender, ethnicity or where you live and although Bowel Screening is not specific only to women – it is included here as it is part of the free NHS Screening program every 2 years from around the age of 50 to 75.

After you are 75, you can ask for a screening test every two years by contacting the bowel cancer screening programme on 0800 707 6060.

Your bowel is inside your body and connects your stomach to your bottom and the bowel takes away the waste your body doesn’t need.

The bowel screening programme helps to spot cancer before any symptoms appear or at an early stage, when it’s more likely to be treatable. Research shows that more than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it’s diagnosed at the earliest stage.

Screening can also find polyps (non-cancerous growths) which can become bowel cancer over time, allowing them to be removed before they can develop further.

Usually around your 50th-52nd birthday, if you are registered with the NHS, you will receive the screening test in the post.  For the test, you’ll collect a small amount of poo. This is sent to a lab where they’ll test for blood in your poo.

After you’ve posted your test, you’ll get your test results in about two weeks.

Most people will be told that nothing more is needed to be done until their next screening. This means that you don’t need any further tests and that you’ll receive another screening kit in 2 years.

If you experience any symptoms of bowel cancer, you shouldn’t wait for your next screening test, talk to your doctor.

What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?

Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer – Bowel Cancer UK

Some people will be told that further tests are needed. This means a small amount of blood was found in your poo sample. This doesn’t mean you have cancer, but it’s important to find out what is causing the bleeding. You’ll be offered more tests, such as a colonoscopy.

It’s equally important to be aware of changes in your body if you are trans or non-binary, and to attend any screening appointments you are invited to.