Results from the UK NHS breast screening programme 2000-05

Objective To present results from the UK NHS breast screening programme (NHSBSP) for the six-year period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2005, and to compare these with targets. Methods Data are collected annually from all UK screening units on standard KC62 return forms. Results The prevalence of screen-positive cancer (cancer detection rate) has increased at both rounds during the six-year period. At the incident round, cancer detection rates increased by 24%, from 5.4 per 1000 in 2000 to 6.7 per 1000 in 2005 and the detection of small cancers (<= 10 mm) has increased by 40%. Generally, quality measures in the programme continue to improve. U However, while rates of recall at the incident screen decreased from 3.8% in 2000 to 3.6% in 2005, at the prevalent round, in 2005, 22% of units continued to recall more than 10% of women to assessment. Conclusions The results suggest that the performance of the programme continues to improve. In the future, analysis of data on interval cancers will assist the interpretation of cancer detection rates.