THOUSANDS of cancer cases are being missed among people ignoring NHS screening invitations, figures suggest.
Cancer Research UK said the free checks diagnose about 18,000 tumours per year but only 70 per cent of people take them up.
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It suggests another 7,000 cases of breast, bowel and cervical cancers might be spotted early each year if attendance was 100 per cent.
Coverage rates have declined despite proof the tests save lives.
Catching cancer early by testing high-risk people before symptoms start is one of the best ways to boost survival.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of CRUK, said: “Screening programmes help spot thousands of cancer cases across England every year, but so much more can be done.
“Making screening more digital and improving data collection to know who is and isn’t coming forward will help to target people who currently miss their appointments.
“This is essential as better access to screening means better chances of catching cancer early.”
Three in 10 do not attend
Official figures show around 30 per cent of people invited for free NHS bowel cancer testing do not take up the invitation.
A further 35 per cent of women do not attend breast screening appointments and 31 per cent snub cervical smear test invitations.
Diagnosis rates suggest around 30,000 extra breast cancers, 10,000 bowel tumours and 2,000 cervical cancers would have been picked up between 2019 and 2023 if rates were 100 per cent.
The NHS in England plans to catch three out of four cancers at Stage 1 or Stage 2 by 2028.
CRUK is calling for more funding for screening programmes to persuade more people to use them.
Free breast screening is offered to women over 50, bowel tests to 54 to 74-year-olds and cervical smear tests to women aged 25 to 64.
Cancer screenings in England
CATCHING cancer early gives you the best chance of survival, and a huge part of that is attending regular screenings.
NHS programmes can help diagnose the disease, or risk of it, and improve the likelihood of successful treatment.
There are three national screening programmes in England: cervical screening, breast screening and bowel screening.
“If you are eligible, please make every effort to have your screening test as they can detect a problem early, before you have any symptoms. ,” the NHS says.
“Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective.”
Cervical screening
This is offered in England to people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 and is routinely carried out every three years up to the age of 49, and every five from 50 to 64.
Depending on the result, people may be recalled earlier.
During a cervical screening, samples are tested for high risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers.
Those that test positive are then analysed further.
Breast screening
Breast screenings, which involve an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel, are usually offered to women aged 50 to 71 in England.
But the NHS is trialling them for women under 50 if they have a high risk of developing breast cancer.
Bowel screening
This test detects whether patients are showing any early signs of cancer.
It is available to everyone aged 54 to 74, with the programme gradually expanding to those 50-plus after The Sun’s No Time 2 Lose campaign.
Currently, those aged 54 to 74 are automatically sent an at-home test kit every two years, so make sure your GP has your correct address.
The at-home test involves providing a small poo sample to be checked for tiny amounts of blood, which could be caused by cancer.
If you’re 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Source: NHS
