Breast cancer sufferers put in danger due to a major shortage of NHS staff who can deliver specialist scans, radiographers warn By Shaun Wooller, Health Editor Published: 01:14 BST, 15 August 2024 | Updated: 01:28 BST, 15 August 2024 e-mail View comments Breast cancer sufferers are being put in danger because of a major shortage of NHS staff who can deliver specialist scans. The Society of Radiographers said the lack of mammographers is leading to late diagnoses and treatment delays, which can reduce survival chances. All women in England aged 50 to 71 are invited for breast screening every three years but they can also be referred for scans if cancer is suspected.
These are carried out using imaging equipment. But the operators' professional group said the mammography workforce in the NHS in England has reached 'critical levels'. Vacancy rates among screening mammographers stand at 17.
5 per cent while among symptomatic mammographers – who scan women who find a lump in their breast or those who have a family history of breast cancer – the vacancy rate is 19.8 per cent. Breast cancer sufferers are being put in danger because of a major shortage of NHS staff who can deliver specialist scans, The Society of Radiographers said Dean Rogers, from the Society of Radiographers, said: 'Our members work incredibly hard in order to provide a comprehensive service despite staff shortages.
'But there's no way that a department with 20 per cent – or higher – vacancies can do the work of a full complement of mammographers. Read More Cancer expert reveals how every new patient he sees is UNDER 45 - as he tells what they all have in common 'Unfortunately, this may mean that some women's cancers are not detected as promptly as they should be. Inevitably, any delay can mean that cases become more complex and harder to treat.
' He added: 'The NHS is broken and the Society of Radiographers wants to help repair it. 'But part of the solution has to be a salary that encourages new radiographers into the profession – rather than driving them away. 'This needs to be coupled with a short-term workforce plan that delivers the numbers of radiographers the NHS needs.
' Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease in UK women with 56,800 new cases every year. Some 11,499 people in Britain die from the disease every year. One mammographer in the North West said: 'We are being asked to work harder for longer, taking on additional roles often suffering musculoskeletal injuries.
'We come in early. We do longer hours. We give up our lunches.
We don't get any time back for it, but we do it because of the patients. All women in England aged 50 to 71 are invited for breast screening every three years but they can also be referred for scans if cancer is suspected 'It might be only ten minutes for us but it's the whole world to them. Yet goodwill can get you only so far, because you're exhausted.
' Rachael Franklin, from the charity Breast Cancer Now, called staff shortages 'shocking' and added: 'The Government must prioritise tackling the workforce crisis to ensure its sustainability, recruiting, training, retaining and supporting staff to ensure cancer patients receive care they deserve.' A Department of Health spokesman said: 'The NHS has been facing chronic workforce shortages for years. 'This Government will tackle these issues head on to ensure the NHS has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it.
' Symptoms of breast cancer to look out for include lumps and swellings, dimpling of the skin, changes in colour, discharge and a rash or crusting around the nipple Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000.
But what causes it and how can it be treated? What is breast cancer? It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts. When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare. Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread.
Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body. The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer? A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell.
This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics. What are the symptoms of breast cancer? The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. How is breast cancer diagnosed? Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits.
They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours. Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells.
The sample can confirm or rule out cancer. If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated? Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment? The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000 NHS Share or comment on this article: Breast cancer sufferers put in danger due to a major shortage of NHS staff who can deliver specialist scans, radiographers warn e-mail Add comment.
