England's ethnic minorities less likely to have breast cancer found by screening, analysis finds

The study, reported by The Guardian, drew on the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Cancer Registration Tumour and Treatment datasets and covered 86,564 adults diagnosed with breast cancer between 2009 and 2019.

It found that people from Black, Asian and mixed backgrounds, as well as people from deprived backgrounds, were up to 33% less likely to be diagnosed through screening. The same groups were up to 31% more likely to be diagnosed through an urgent suspected cancer referral and up to 37% more likely to be diagnosed after an emergency presentation.

Manveet Basra, associate director of public health, inclusion and awareness at Breast Cancer Now, said the analysis showed people from marginalised groups "face inequalities at every stage of their breast cancer experience, and tragically this impacts their survival rates". She said the findings helped identify who is less likely to be diagnosed through screening and who may wait longer for diagnosis or treatment.

"Determined to improve breast cancer care and survival rates outcomes, we're funding world-class research that actively identifies and addresses inequities, working with policymakers to improve equal access to screening, and ensuring our information, campaigns and life-changing support services reflect the diverse needs of everyone affected by this devastating disease," Basra said.

The analysis also reported worse outcomes for people living with a learning disability, whose time to diagnosis was 18% longer than for people without one and who faced a 10% longer wait for treatment.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, accounting for about one in four cancer cases and ranking among the leading causes of death in women under 50. The Guardian report noted that identifying women at higher risk early can open the way to additional screening or preventive treatment.

The findings add to earlier evidence of unequal cancer outcomes. A previous study found that ethnic minorities needed more visits to a GP before a cancer diagnosis: analysis of the NHS cancer patient experience 2022 survey by QualityWatch, a joint programme of the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation, found that while one in five people across England need three or more GP interactions before diagnosis, the figure rises to one in three for people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Research from the UK Health Security Agency has also suggested that young Black women are more likely to have aggressive breast cancer tumours, to receive poorer care and to have higher mortality rates, while being significantly under-represented in clinical research.

Dr Rob Kerrison, an associate professor of cancer care and co-lead of the cancer care expert group at the University of Surrey, who led the study, said: "We know that some groups of women in the UK have poorer breast cancer survival than others, but until now we have had only a limited understanding of why. Our findings suggest that inequalities in access to screening and timely treatment may be part of the explanation." He added: "Women from a range of disadvantaged and under-served groups were less likely to have their cancer detected through screening and often waited longer to start treatment. If we are serious about improving breast cancer outcomes, we need to ensure that everyone can access screening and receive prompt treatment, regardless of their background or circumstances."