The Cancer Reform Strategy, published last December, contains a number of initiatives under the National Awareness and early Diagnosis initiative to promote early diagnosis and improve the treatment of breast cancer. These include:
patients with breast problems being referred to a cancer specialist within two weeks, whether or not cancer is suspected;
the breast-screening programme being extended to women aged 47 to 73 years;
working at a community level to promote better public awareness of cancer symptoms;
carrying out a regular national survey of cancer symptom awareness to gain a better understanding of the delays in patient diagnosis; and
carrying out a national audit in primary care of all patients diagnosed with cancer.
To ensure equality of treatment of all cancers we are developing a national cancer equality initiative involving key stakeholders.
More detailed information on these initiatives can be found at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_081006