Making cancer screening work for you

The 3 UK screening programmes, for bowel, breast and cervical cancer, save thousands of lives each year. Screening can help diagnose cancer at an early stage, when there are more treatment options and treatment is more likely to be successful. And cervical screening can even prevent cancers from developing in the first place.

In the UK, the number of people completing screening sits around 65% for bowel cancer screening, 70% for breast cancer screening, and 68% for cervical screening.

Screening is always a personal choice, but it’s important that everyone who’s eligible for screening has the same opportunities to access it. While someone might decide that screening isn’t right for them, there are also people who might want to be screened but aren’t able to because something gets in the way.

So, let’s look at how we can make screening work for you.

From getting the invite in the first place, attending the appointment or doing the test itself, to receiving results, here are our top tips for making the screening process just a little bit easier.

Step 1: Getting your cancer screening invite

Let’s start at the very beginning – how do you get a screening invite?  

Well, first you need to make sure you are registered with a GP.  If you aren’t registered, you won’t receive an invite to cancer screening.  

Most people who are eligible for screening will receive their invite in the post automatically. This means for most people the invite will come to you when it’s time to consider screening, and there’s nothing you need to do beforehand. 

Just make sure your GP has your current home address – and let them know if this changes! If you have not been sent a letter, and think you should have been, contact your GP.  

But invites aren’t always automatic – so what then? 

Screening for transgender and non-binary people 

For some people, invites may not come automatically at all. For transgender or non-binary people, screening invites will be sent out based on the gender registered with their GP. But your sex assigned at birth, hormones, or surgeries you may have had, may impact what screening programmes are suitable for you.  

Your gender identity should not affect your access to screening, so speak to your GP or Gender Identity Clinic for advice. Our webpage on screening for trans or non-binary people helps to make sure you have the information you need. 

Step 2: Understanding your screening invite

Once that letter has landed on your doormat – open it, read it, and check that you understand the information.  

The letter inviting you to take part in screening contains information about the test or what happens at the screening appointment. 

Invites are available in different languages 

If the letter isn’t written in your first language, ask if your GP or the screening service can provide the information in a different language. You may also be able to find these online through Public Health England. Remember you could also ask a friend or relative to help you understand this information.  

And remember, you can speak to your GP or local screening service with any questions you have about cancer screening. The number for the relevant screening service can be found on your screening invite.

Step 3: Deciding if you would like to take part

Whether or not you go for screening is your choice. And the information in your screening invitation can help you make an informed decision.  

But there are many things that may influence our decisions around cancer screening. Research is giving us an insight into some of the reasons people may not chose to attend screening. We might not think screening is for us, we might feel scared of getting the results, or we simply might not have enough time to attend the appointment. 

It’s important to recognise when these factors are acting as barriers to participation for people who do want to take part. At Cancer Research UK, we aim to raise awareness and remove barriers so everyone who wants to take part in screening can do so.

Cancer screening isn’t for me… is it?  

One common barrier to screening is people thinking that screening is not for them. That’s often because people perceive themselves as having a low risk of cancer, or because they don’t have any symptoms.

If you do have symptoms or notice something unusual for you – it’s important to speak to your doctor. Don’t wait for screening, and don’t put off talking to your doctor even if you have been screened.  

Most screening tests do not result in a cancer diagnosis 

Another barrier often cited is fear or fatalism. It’s important to know that most cancer screening tests do not result in a cancer diagnosis – and the majority require no further testing at all. But the ones that do give an indication that further tests are needed can go on to detect cancer at an earlier stage.  

And early diagnosis is key – spotting cancer at an early stage means treatment is more likely to be successful.   

Spotting cancer early can save lives 

More than 9 in 10 people with bowel cancer survive their disease for five years or more if it’s diagnosed at the earliest stage. This falls to around 1 in 10 people when bowel cancer is diagnosed at the most advanced stage.  

And it’s an even better picture for breast cancer: if breast cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, almost all women survive their disease for 5 years or more.  

But remember, although you can do this privately in your own home, it doesn’t make the test any less important.  We have some simple tips to make the whole process a lot easier in our leaflet containing tips and guidance for collecting your sample. 

Step 5: Attending the appointment

We’ve now covered what the screening tests involve, but actually attending a screening appointment can still feel scary or a bit worrying. During your appointment, remember the nurse is there to support you throughout. Try to share how you are feeling: they will understand if you’re afraid or embarrassed, and sharing your concerns means they can recognise what kind of support you might need.  

Remember, whether it’s breast or cervical screening – you are in control. Don’t feel pressured to keep going. You can ask the nurse to stop at any point.  

Getting comfortable with cervical screening

Most people won’t experience pain from cervical screening, but sometimes the speculum can be uncomfortable. Speak with your doctor or nurse if you have concerns about this. There are ways to make this more comfortable, such as using a different sized speculum or moving into a different position.   

On the day of the appointment consider wearing a dress or skirt. This may help you feel more covered as you can keep it on during the test and only take off your underwear.