{"entity":{"id":"nhs-cancer-screening-programmes","kind":"collection","name":"NHS cancer screening programmes","aka":[],"tldr":"In the UK the NHS invites you to bowel, breast and cervical screening by age, free, and is rolling out lung screening for people who smoke or used to.","summary":"The NHS runs population screening for bowel cancer (a faecal immunochemical test posted to the home every two years), breast cancer (mammography every three years) and cervical cancer (HPV primary testing), with age ranges that differ slightly between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; the NHS page for each programme states the current ages. Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT for people aged 55 to 74 who smoke or used to, begun as the Targeted Lung Health Check, is being extended across England. Screening is free, invitations are automatic through the GP register, and anyone who has missed an invitation can ask their GP practice. Screening looks for cancer or pre-cancer in people without symptoms; anyone with symptoms should see a GP rather than wait for screening.","asOf":"2026-09-17","links":[{"label":"NHS cancer screening programmes","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-screening/"},{"label":"NHS bowel cancer screening","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer-screening/"},{"label":"NHS breast screening","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-screening-mammogram/"},{"label":"NHS cervical screening","url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/"}],"tags":["free","public"],"related":["australia-cancer-screening-programs","ireland-national-screening-service","nz-time-to-screen","cdc-nbccedp"],"cancers":["colorectal","breast-cancer","cervical","nsclc"],"sections":[],"technologies":["colorectal-screening","mammography","nhs-targeted-lung-health-check","low-dose-ct-screening"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"url":"https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-screening/","holds":"The three national NHS cancer screening programmes, free at the point of use and invitation-based: bowel screening by home FIT kit, breast screening by mammogram, and cervical screening with HPV testing; plus lung screening for people with a smoking history, being rolled out across England.","maintainer":"NHS England (and the devolved NHS bodies)"},"route":"/collections/nhs-cancer-screening-programmes/","neighbours":{"collection":[{"id":"australia-cancer-screening-programs","kind":"collection","name":"Australia's national cancer screening programs","route":"/collections/australia-cancer-screening-programs/"},{"id":"cdc-nbccedp","kind":"collection","name":"CDC National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program","route":"/collections/cdc-nbccedp/"},{"id":"ireland-national-screening-service","kind":"collection","name":"Ireland's National Screening Service","route":"/collections/ireland-national-screening-service/"},{"id":"nz-time-to-screen","kind":"collection","name":"Time to Screen (New Zealand national screening)","route":"/collections/nz-time-to-screen/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"breast-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Breast cancer (all types)","route":"/cancers/breast-cancer/"},{"id":"cervical","kind":"cancer","name":"Cervical cancer","route":"/cancers/cervical/"},{"id":"colorectal","kind":"cancer","name":"Colorectal cancer","route":"/cancers/colorectal/"},{"id":"nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/nsclc/"}],"technology":[{"id":"colorectal-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Colorectal cancer screening (colonoscopy, FIT, stool DNA, blood)","route":"/technologies/colorectal-screening/"},{"id":"low-dose-ct-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Low-dose CT lung screening","route":"/technologies/low-dose-ct-screening/"},{"id":"mammography","kind":"technology","name":"Mammography & tomosynthesis","route":"/technologies/mammography/"},{"id":"nhs-targeted-lung-health-check","kind":"technology","name":"NHS Targeted Lung Health Check (lung cancer screening programme)","route":"/technologies/nhs-targeted-lung-health-check/"}]}}