Breast Screening

Overview

In this section you can find out about experiences of breast screening by seeing and hearing people share their personal stories on film.

In 2004-2005 a researcher travelled all around the UK to talk to 40 women in their own homes. In 2008, this site was updated with a further 8 new interviews.

Find out what people said about issues such as deciding to attend screening, the procedure, and getting results.

We hope you find the information here helpful and reassuring.

You may also be interested in our sections on breast cancer in women and Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Breast screening site preview

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Interview 32: It was all very new to me. No, I mean, some people had said to me it's not very pleasant, it's very painful.

Interview 37: Also I did have a number of friends who had either just been through the same thing or were just going through it. It was one of these sort of clusters perhaps. At one time I knew 12 people in my immediate circle who had either just had or were having a mastectomy or lumpectomy or chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Interview 21: I felt all the time, no you know, we've caught this in time, well in time. And that is the advantage again of screening if you do pick up something early like that you know, you've got a-, you know a 100% chance of being fine because it's been caught so early.

Interview 16: Well, I would say to them, please go and take the screening because it saved my life and it could save your life.

This section is from research by The University of Oxford.

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences logo

Supported by:
NHS Breast Screening Programme

Publication date: June 2005.
Last updated: March 2025.

Last reviewed: March 2025.