Further information on screening in Southwark

Cervical
The figure below shows the number of new cases of cervical cancer for Southwark residents.  The large fluctuations in the data are due to the small number of cases involved; however, it is still evident that there is a downward trend.

Cervical cancer, new cases, Southwark, 1991-2003

The national target for cervical screening coverage is 80% of the women aged 25 to 64 years. In 2004/05 the cervical screening uptake rate for Southwark women aged 25 to 64 years was 72% - lower than the London rate of 75.5% and the England rate of 80.3%. Women aged 25-29 years had a much lower uptake of the service (63%) than women in the other age groups.

Breast
Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women in the UK, accounting for 1 in 3 female cancers. About one woman in 12 can expect to have breast cancer at some time in her life. During 2000-02 there were 375 new cases of breast cancer in women living in Southwark. 

Breast screening is routinely offered to all women aged 50 to 70 years. The Department of Health has set a national target for uptake of breast screening service at 70% of eligible women screened within the previous three years. In Southwark the uptake is low – 61% in 2005. London as a whole also did not meet the target, but its uptake was slightly higher at 64%. The uptake for England as a whole was 76%.