The women of Sparkhill and Sparkbrook are being urged not to miss their breast cancer screening appointments. The current rate of uptake in the neighbouring inner-city areas in Birmingham is just 50-60 percent – way below the national rate of 72 percent – and engaging women in the ethnically diverse communities is proving a challenge for the South Birmingham Breast Screening Service.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK and 1,300 lives nationally are saved each year through the screening programme – with more than 15,000 women invited for screening annually by the south Birmingham service.
All women between the ages of 50 and 70 living in the area are eligible for the free service – which aims to detect cancers at the earliest possible stage – and will be invited for screening every three years. “The aim is to find cancers at an early stage when they are too small to see or feel,” said service spokesperson Siobhan Lydon, a senior radiographer. “By catching these cancers earlier we are potentially saving the patient from much more invasive surgery later on.
“But there are certain areas of Birmingham where we are finding it difficult to get women to attend for screening, particularly in certain pockets of Sparkhill and Sparkbrook. “In such areas of high ethnic diversity there are often language barriers involved and educating and informing the community about our service is a challenge.
“A lot of people are nervous about what a mammogram entails and what the results may be. We are trying to get the word out that we’re there to help by enlisting the assistance of faith leaders and visiting centres of worship as well as schools to raise awareness.
“It is essential that we get as many women screened as possible from these areas because it could save lives as, for example, black and Asian women have significantly poorer outcomes than other ethnic groups in terms of breast cancer survival.
“The more cancers that we can detect early, often before there are any symptoms, the more lives we can save.”
Screening is carried out at Birmingham Women’s Hospital or a mobile screening unit which is currently based at Sparkbrook Health and Community Centre on Grantham Road, Sparkbrook, until May.
Appointments are offered on alternate Saturdays in the breast unit with extended days and early starts on the mobile unit.
To book an appointment or to talk to the friendly staff call the South Birmingham Breast Screening Service on 0121 623 6890 or visit the website at www.bscreen.org.uk.
