Suffolk Screening Trail Blazers
We're starting a revolution...
JOIN SUFFOLK SCREENING TRAIL BLAZERS
AIMING FOR 100% ATTENDANCE IN SUFFOLK’S SCREENING PROGRAMME
Let’s start the female trail blazers revolution going for 100% attendance in Suffolk’s screening programmes.
Cervical or breast screening - be out there in front lead
Let’s show that we care about each other and ourselves.
WHY do you need to attend your screening appointment?
IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!! Cervical and Breast cancer screening has proven to save lives by detecting cancers in their early stages
All cancers diagnosed early give you a better chance of survival with more effective treatment and less invasive surgery
One in two of us will have a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime and EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES
A few minutes of discomfort VERSUS not giving screening the importance it deserves – ITS NOT WORTH THE RISK
Government Statistics March 2021
Cervical Cancer Facts
30% of eligible individuals were not screened
Around 2,700 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year and approximately 690 die from the disease – around 2 everyday
83% of deaths could be prevented if everyone attended regular screening
Look out for –
• Unusual vaginal bleeding
• Changes to vaginal discharge
• Pain during sex
• Pain in lower back between hip bones (pelvis) or lower tummy
Screening can stop cervical cancer before it starts
CERVICAL SCREENING – WHAT TO EXPECT
The test looks for changes in your cervix – to find unhealthy cells before they turn into cancer
Having a cervical smear test is the only way to find out if your cervix is healthy
The screening is for women aged 25 -64 (25-49 every three years, 50-64 every five years)
• Wear a skirt or dress to make the test easier
• It will be done in a private room
• It will be done by a Dr or Nurse, usually female but you can request this
• You will be asked to take your knickers off
• You will be asked to lie on a bed with your knees bent
• They will ask you to open your legs
• You will have a paper sheet on you
• The Dr or Nurse will use a speculum to put in your vagina so they can see your cervix
• They will use a small brush to take a sample of cells from your cervix
• It should not be painful but it may be uncomfortable
• The test only takes a minute or two
9 out of 10 women have normal results - 1 in 10 may need more tests
www.nhs.uk/cervical
Breast Cancer Facts
Breast screening cannot prevent breast cancer but can help find cancer early when it’s easier to treat
Be breast aware – get used to how your breast feels at different times of the month
NHS five-point plan –
1. Know what’s normal for you
2. Look at your breasts and feel them
3. Know what changes to look for
4. Report any changes to your GP straight away
5. Attend routine screening if you’re aged between 50-70
Look out for –
• Lump or areas of thickened tissue around or under the breast
• Change to size or shape of one or both breasts
• Discharge of fluid from either nipple – bloodstained or smelly, only coming from one breast, not breastfeeding but leaks out without pressure, you’re over 50, also have other symptoms
• Lump or swelling in either armpit
• Change in look or feel of your skin, such as puckering or dimpling, a rash or redness
• Change in appearance of nipple, such as becoming sunken
• Pain or discomfort that does not go away
If you missed your last breast screening, re book your appointment now at Ipswich Hospital 01473 703344
BREAST SCREENING – WHAT TO EXPECT
The screening is for women aged 50-71 every three years. If you are over 71 you can request a screening
1 in 8 women get breast cancer
The risk increases as you get older
More women now survive breast cancer than ever before
The test can find changes inside your breast that are too small to see or feel
• At the screening clinic you will be asked to take off the clothes you are wearing above your waist, including your bra
• The person doing the test (mammographer) will always be female
• She will place your breasts on the machine one at a time
• The machine will flatten your breast and hold it in place
• You will feel your breast being squeezed
• The x-ray machine may hurt a little bit but this will only be for a few seconds while images are being taken
• Usually two images of each breast are taken
www.nhs.uk/breast
DON’T MISS YOUR SCREENING - rearrange but never miss your chance for a healthy life.
HELP SAVE LIVES – JOIN SSTB Revolution and be a Suffolk Screening Trail Blazer
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