Cancer screening

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Breast cancer screening coverage 

Breast screening supports early detection of cancer and is estimated to save 1,400 lives in England each year. Improvements in screening coverage would lead to more breast cancers being detected at earlier, more treatable stages. 

As of 2022, 60.3% of all eligible women aged 53 to 70 in Waltham Forest have had a breast cancer screening test in the previous 36 months. Breast cancer screening coverage in Waltham Forest was higher than the London average (55.5%) but lower than in England as a whole (65.2%). 

Source:  OHID Public Health Outcomes Framework. Data from the Breast Screening Programme (NHS Digital). Date accessed: 27 April 2023. 

Bowel cancer screening coverage 

Bowel cancer screening supports early detection of cancer and polyps, which are not cancerous but may develop into cancers over time. About one in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime.  Improvements in screening coverage would mean more bowel cancers being detected at earlier, more treatable stages, and more polyps being detected and removed.

In 2022, 60.5% of the eligible men and women aged 60 to74 in Waltham Forest were screened for bowel cancer in the previous 30 months, which represents 60.5% of the eligible population in Waltham Forest. This is below the London average (62.1%), and much lower coverage compared to England average (70.3%). However, in recent years there has been an upward trend in bowel cancel screening coverage in Waltham Forest, in line with the trends seen nationally and regionally.

Source:  OHID Public Health Outcomes Framework. Data from the Bowel Screening Programme (NHS Digital). Date accessed: 27 April 2023.