Question reference: S6W-04599
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 25 November 2021
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 December 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02085 by Maree Todd on 23 August 2021, how regularly women who have had breast cancer are screened following recovery, and how many women over 70 who have had breast cancer self-referred into the breast screening programme in each year since 2011.
Answer
Following treatment for breast cancer, women are followed up by the symptomatic breast service annually, commonly for at least 5 years. After that, women who are aged between 50 and 70 years are invited to attend the Scottish Breast Screening Programme (SBSP) every 3 years. Women who are aged 71 years or over following discharge from symptomatic breast cancer treatment and follow up appointments can ordinarily self-refer to the SBSP once every 3 years; however, self-referrals for women in this age-group are currently suspended due to capacity challenges in the programme associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of women who had breast cancer and self-referred into the SBSP following treatment is not routinely collected or reported, and therefore the Scottish government cannot provide this information.