About a million women have missed screenings due to Covid. I’m appealing to other women to book one now‘The coronavirus pandemic and cancer are a nasty combination.’ Dawn Butler MP‘The coronavirus pandemic and cancer are a nasty combination.’ Dawn Butler MPLast modified on Tue 29 Mar 2022 08.01 BSTeing told you have cancer is one of the biggest shocks you can go through. The coronavirus pandemic and cancer are a nasty combination.
But what happens if none of that applies and you still have cancer? That’s what happened to me. The truth is a routine mammogram saved my life. I had no symptoms whatsoever but because of a mammogram in November last year, doctors discovered my cancer early. This early diagnosis means that I’ll make a full recovery.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 for screening every three years. But all screening was effectively paused in March 2020 because of the pandemic, and now women have sadly fallen through the cracks. Although it’s since resumed, there are big delays as the NHS works through a backlog of people who weren’t able to get an appointment. When breast cancer is only detected at a later stage, it can be harder to treat.