Cancer screening
The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is an independent expert group. They advise the Government on which screening programmes to offer. They also decide what ages people should be offered screening. These decisions are made based on scientific evidence. A screening programme is only recommended if there is good quality evidence over many years that shows the benefits outweigh the harms. Currently cancer screening is recommended for breast cancer, bowel cancer, and cervical cancer. Lung cancer screening is also recommended for people at higher risk of lung cancer. This is a new programme and will take some time before it’s rolled out across the UK. The UK NSC regularly reviews the evidence on existing programmes and for new programmes.
In November 2025, the UK National Screening Committee announced a draft recommendation for a targeted prostate cancer screening programme, but there is still more to do before screening can be rolled out. If this recommendation is taken up then health systems across the UK will need to find the best way to implement the programme.
This is because:
Screening can help to detect cancer at an early stage. If cancer is found early, it means that treatment is more likely to be successful, and more people survive.
Some screening tests can prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Cervical and bowel screening can detect early changes. These can be treated before they can develop into cancer.
Cancer screening is for people with no symptoms. This is because screening tests can spot possible signs of cancer before symptoms appear. This means cancer can be prevented or diagnosed at an early stage. And spotting cancer early saves lives.
This is when a screening test misses cancer, or a possible sign of cancer. Screening tests are not 100% accurate. This means sometimes the test may give a 'negative' or 'normal' result, but it has missed something.
That's why it's important to tell your doctor about any unusual changes or symptoms, even if you've had a screening test recently.
This is when a screening test suggests you might have cancer or possible sign of cancer when you don’t. Screening tests aren’t perfect. This means sometimes the test may give a ‘positive’ or ‘abnormal’ result, when there isn’t a problem. This can cause a lot of worry and might lead to follow-up tests that aren’t needed.
This is when a screening test finds a cancer that would never have caused any problems. This is called overdiagnosis. People may have treatment they don’t need, as their cancer would never have caused symptoms or harm in their lifetime.
Screening tests are safe, but some tests can have side effects, for example, some people might experience pain and light bleeding from the cervical screening test. While breast screening can be uncomfortable for some people. Any potential side effects will be explained in your screening invite. If you need follow-up tests, these can also have risks. You’ll get clear information to help you understand these tests and any potential side effects.
Cancer Research UK is supportive of the NHS cancer screening programmes and encourages people to consider taking part.
The balance of benefits and harms are different for each type of cancer screening. It’s important you read the information that comes with your invitation to help you decide.
You can also talk to your doctor or call a screening helpline if you have any concerns or questions.
Whether or not you go for screening is your choice. There are things you can do to help you decide if you want to take part.
Your screening invitation will explain the test, and the benefits and harms of taking part. Take time to read your screening invitation carefully. We may all feel differently about the benefits and harms of screening. You should make the decision that is right for you.
Talk to your doctor or a local screening service if you have any questions or concerns. You can ask about any part of the screening process or test to help you decide what it is right for you. Some people might feel anxious about screening. This could be because of concerns about what the test might find. Remember, most people get a ‘negative’ or ‘normal’ result and don’t need any more tests.
If you’re feeling unsure or worried, support is available. You can talk to your doctor, a screening helpline, or someone you trust. You can also find contact details for any relevant screening helplines on your invitation.
Not sure if screening is the right choice for you, or feeling unsure about the process? Read our news article on making the screening process work for you. It offers advice to help you decide, plus simple tips for making the screening process easier.
The UK National Screening Committee is an independent expert group. They review the scientific evidence and advise the Government on which age groups should be offered screening. Screening programmes start and stop at ages where the benefits are biggest, and the harms are smallest. Outside of these ages, the harms of taking part could outweigh the benefits.
People who are younger than the screening age are usually at a lower risk for that type of cancer. This means that for most of these people, the harms of screening would outweigh the benefits.
You may be able to continue with some types of screening if you are older than the screening age range. This may depend on where you live. Above the recommended age range, the harms of screening may outweigh the benefits. So it’s important to speak to your doctor and make an informed decision about taking part.
In England and Scotland, people aged 75 and over can ask to complete bowel screening every 2 years.
Across the UK, if you are older than 71 you can ask to have breast screening every 3 years.
You won’t be invited automatically, so you will need to ask for the test. This is sometimes called ‘self-referral’. You can do this by contacting your doctor or the relevant screening helpline. Remember, screening is for people with no symptoms. Many cases of cancer are diagnosed outside of the screening programme. Whatever your age, if you notice anything unusual for you, tell your doctor as soon as possible.
If you are at higher risk of developing a particular type of cancer, you might be offered additional screening or start screening at an earlier age. You might be at higher risk if you have a strong family history of cancer or an inherited faulty gene. Talk to your GP if you are concerned that you might be at higher risk.
We have specific information about:
For rare cancers, doctors may offer screening to people who are at the highest risk of the disease. Your doctor will tell you if this is relevant for you.
The UK National Screening Committee is an independent expert group. They review the scientific evidence and advise the Government on which screening programmes to offer. Screening programmes are only set up if they will save lives, and the benefits outweigh the harms. If there isn’t a good enough screening test, or screening would do more harm than good, then a screening programme won’t be recommended. For a screening programme to work, a screening test must:
reliably find cancers or early changes that could lead to cancer
not cause too many false positives (people are told they might have cancer when they don’t)
not cause too many false negatives (where cancer is missed)
be safe, and acceptable (meaning people are willing to complete the test)
be cost-effective
If a test doesn’t do these things, it’s unlikely to work well in a screening programme for the whole population.
Researchers are always looking for new screening tests. For example, there is lots of research into ovarian cancer screening. But there currently isn't a reliable enough test to screen for this cancer.
Cancer screening is for people with no symptoms. The screening tests aim to spot possible signs of cancer before they are noticeable. This means cancer can be prevented or diagnosed at an early stage. The tests used for screening are different for each programme:
Breast screening uses a mammogram (a type of x-ray) to look for early-stage breast cancers. These are often too small to see or feel. Cervical screening tests for a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). This is because nearly all cases of cervical cancer are linked to HPV. If high risk HPV is found, the sample will also be checked for abnormal cell changes. These abnormal cells can be treated to prevent cervical cancer from developing. Find out more about HPV. Bowel screening uses a poo testing kit called a FIT - Faecal Immunochemical Test. You can complete the test in your own home. It looks for tiny traces of blood in your poo which can be an early sign of bowel cancer. Further tests might be needed to look for bowel cancer or changes in your bowel that could lead to cancer. These changes can be treated to prevent bowel cancer from developing. The new lung cancer screening programme uses a low dose CT scan to look for early-stage lung cancer. This programme is new and it will take some time before its available across the UK.
All screening programmes provided by the NHS are free. This includes screening for breast, bowel, and cervical cancer, and the new lung cancer screening programme. Some private companies offer screening tests you can pay for. These tests might test for one cancer type. But they can also include full-body scans or blood tests that look for multiple cancer types. NHS screening programmes are based on scientific evidence. They are offered to people when the benefits outweigh the harms. There are strict rules to make sure everyone gets clear information so people understand the test they’re having. There are also clear next steps for people who need follow up tests or treatment. Some of these private tests are not recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. This is because the evidence doesn’t show that the benefits of the test outweigh the harms. There is also no guarantee of appropriate support to understand the results or timely access to NHS services if follow up tests and treatment are needed. You can find advice from the UK National Screening Committee if you're thinking about using private screening tests.
Find out what cancer screening is, who it’s for, and what the screening process involves.
Find information on UK cancer screening programmes and eligibility for transgender (trans) and non-binary people.
Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of cancer.
Last reviewed: 25 Nov 2025
Next review due: 25 Nov 2028
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