We currently operate two screening clinics at the surgery. These are:
Cervical Smears
Mammography
Cervical Smears
Who is the clinic for?
This clinic is available to all women between the ages of 25 and 65.
What is the purpose of the clinic?
To perform a simple and painless test to detect any abnormality at an early stage every three years.
What are the clinic opening times?
Appointments for the clinic should be made via reception on 01865 872448.
Who runs the clinic?
Our practice nurses run the clinic.
How do I contact the clinic?
You can contact the clinic via the reception on 01865 872448.
Frequently asked question
What is cervical screening?
Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer in a woman's cervix (the neck of the womb). The first stage in cervical screening is a smear test.
A sample of cells is taken from the cervix for analysis. A doctor or nurse inserts an instrument (a speculum) to open the woman's vagina and uses a spatula to sweep around the cervix. Most women consider the procedure to be only mildly uncomfortable.
Early detection and treatment can prevent 75 per cent of cancers developing but like other screening tests, it is not perfect. It may not always detect early cell changes that could lead to cancer.
What is a smear test?
The sample of cells is 'smeared' on to a slide which is sent to a laboratory for examination under a microscope.
Who is eligable for screening?
All women between the ages of 25 and 64 are eligible for a free cervical smear test every three to five years. In the light of new evidence1 the NHS Cervical Screening Programme will now be implementing screening at different intervals depending on age. The change is recommended to take place after a woman's next smear which will already have been scheduled.
The NHS call and recall system invites women who are registered with a GP. This also keeps track of any follow-up investigation, and, if all is well, recalls the woman for screening in three or five years time. It is therefore important that all women ensure their GP has their correct name and address details and inform them if these change.
Women who have not had a recent smear test may be offered one when they attend their GP or family planning clinic on another matter. Women should receive their first invitation for routine screening at 25.
What about women who are not sexually active?
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme invites all women between the ages of 25 and 64 for cervical screening. But if a woman has never been sexually active with a man, then the research evidence shows that her chance of developing cervical cancer is very low indeed. We do not say no risk, only very low risk. In these circumstances, a woman might choose to decline the invitation for cervical screening on this occasion. If a woman is not currently sexually active but has had male partners in the past, then we would recommend that she continues screening.
Links
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical/
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Mammography
Who is the clinic for?
The clinic is for women within the ages of 50 – 64.
What is the purpose of the clinic?
To perform a mammogram for breast cancer screening purposes.
What are the clinic opening times?
There are no scheduled opening times for this clinic. If your are between the ages of 50 and 64 you will automatically be sent an appointment every three years.
Who runs the clinic?
Our practice nurses run the clinic.
How do I contact the clinic?
There is no need to contact the clinic as appointments are automatically scheduled every three years.
Frequently asked questions
I am a woman of 45 and I wonder why I have to wait until I am 50 for breast screening. If it works for older women why can’t younger women have it?
At the present time in the UK the national breast cancer screening programme offers women between the ages of 50 and 65, the chance of having an x-ray of their breasts, called a mammogram, once every three years. (In some parts of the country the upper age limit is being increased to include women up to 70.)
There is good evidence that mammographic screening of women older than 50 does detect breast cancers at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be successful. As a result there is no doubt that the cure rate for breast cancer has increased and many women’s lives have been saved as a result.
The value of screening with routine mammograms in younger women is far less certain. One reason for this is that in women who have not yet reached the menopause their breast tissue tends to be firmer and denser than in older women. This makes it more difficult for small cancers to be seen on a mammogram and the chances of ‘missing’ a cancer are much higher.
I have always thought examining my breast regularly was a good thing but a friend has told me she has read recent newspaper articles saying it is of little use. Is this true?
Regularly examining their own breasts has been recommended to women as a way of detecting breast cancer at an early stage for the last fifty years. But the advice has always been rather controversial, since there has bee no strong scientific evidence to back it up.
Certainly surveys have shown that although many women know about the idea of breast self-examination only a small number actually examine themselves regularly.
Also, there is no agreement among experts on the best way for a woman to examine her own breasts, or on how often she should do this.
There is also evidence that women who do examine themselves regularly may find more benign breast lumps than women who do not examine themselves, and this can lead to increased anxiety, and sometimes, unnecessary surgery.
Now a recent clinical trial in China, looking at more than a quarter of a million women, has shown that regular self-examination does not improve the results of treatment for breast cancer.
Experts feel that the results of this study help to settle the arguments about breast self-examination, showing that it is of little value. A better alternative is ‘breast awareness’. This means that rather than regularly examining herself a woman should use times like showering, bathing or dressing to become familiar with her breasts at different times of the month, and then every so often look and feel for any changes from normal, reporting any obvious changes promptly to her family doctor.
Self Help
Be breast aware
To be breast aware means becoming familiar with how your breasts look and feel. You should understand how your breasts may change at different times during the month and also as you get older. For some women, breasts become enlarged, tender and lumpy just before a period and then return to normal once the period is over, others may have swollen breasts throughout their cycle. Age, pregnancy, Hormone Replacement Therapy and the menopause can all affect the size and feel of your breasts. The important thing is to recognise which changes are usual and which are not. Make sure you know what is normal for you.
What you should do?
You can help yourself by checking your breasts at least once a month. Why not try doing it in the shower, using your hands to wash yourself rather than a sponge or flannel? Just a few minutes every now and then could help save your life. Look for these changes, and remember, if you are in any doubt visit your doctor.
Look!
Look at yourself in the mirror; look for changes that are unusual. For example:
Any change in the shape or size of the breast or nipple
Any change in the position or colouring of the nipple, including inversion
Any dimpling, denting, scaling or discolouration of the skin
Feel!
Feel your breasts, feel for anything that is not normally there. For example:
- A lump or swelling in your breast, that feels different from the rest of your breast tissue
- A lump or swelling in the armpit, arm or around your collarbone
Be breast aware!
Recognise any other changes. For example:
- Discharge from one or both nipples
- A pain in the breast, armpit or arm that is new for you
Report any changes that you find to your doctor without delay, and if you are aged 50 or over, attend routine breast screening.