| Subject |
Tobias
Ellwood joins forces with Breakthrough Breast Cancer
|
| Ref |
PR/06-133 |
| Date |
Friday
26th May 2006 |
Tobias Ellwood
MP for Bournemouth East has joined forces with the UK's leading
breast cancer charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer to encourage women in Bournemouth
to attend breast-screening appointments.
Meeting at the All Party's annual reception at Westminster, MPs
heard that breast cancer is now the UK's most common cancer. Over
41,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year in the UK,
making it one of the highest incidences in the world. Early detection
and diagnosis are vital to improve a woman's chances of surviving
breast cancer and screening is one of the most effective ways of
ensuring this.
But while routine screening invitations are sent to all women aged
between 50 and 70 every three years, Breakthrough's own research
has suggested that not all women are taking advantage of this potentially
life-saving service. The message is for women between 50 - 70 to
attend when invited and, for women aged 70 or over, to contact their
local breast screening unit to make an appointment.
Tobias said:
"Women
need to know that early diagnosis of breast cancer saves lives.
Around 1,400 lives saved in England each year by the NHS Breast
Screening Programme. The biggest known risk factor in developing
breast cancer is age, with around 80 per cent of cases occurring
in post-menopausal women, aged 50 or over.
It's a sobering
thought that one in nine of women in Bournemouth will develop breast
cancer at some point in their lives. But there is good news, more
women than ever are surviving breast cancer, and this in part is
down to Breast Screening Programmes.
The earlier breast cancer is detected the better your chances of
survival. Breast screening is a vital and effective part of the
UK's efforts to reduce the death toll from this devastating disease
but it's essential women in Bournemouth take advantage of this by
attending when invited."
Since screening
was introduced in the UK in 1998 the programme has screened more
than 14 million women and has detected over 80,000 cancers. If it
wasn't for screening, many of these cancers may not have been detected
until at a much later stage.
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