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Cancer screening and support

Changes to your body's normal processes or unusual, unexplained symptoms can sometimes be an early sign of cancer. 

Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. It sometimes begins in one part of the body before spreading to other areas. 

Diagnosing cancer at an early stage is vital. If it's diagnosed at an early stage, when it isn’t too large and hasn’t spread, it's more likely to be treated successfully. If cancer spreads, effective treatment becomes more difficult and a person’s chances of surviving are lower. 

This is why screening is really important - to rule out cancer or other serious conditions. In Barnsley there are free screening services for some people for cervical, breast and bowel cancer. We’re encouraging people to attend their screening, regardless of if they’re feeling well. This is to detect any health problems so that early treatment can be offered it needed. A five minute test can save a life! 

Cervical cancer screening

Cervical cancer screening is available to women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64. All eligible people who are registered with a GP (as female) automatically get an invitation by post. 

Trans-men, who were assigned female at birth won’t get an invitation if registered as male with their GP. However, they’re still entitled to screening if they have a cervix. 

The first invitation is sent to eligible people five months after their 24th birthday. People aged 25 to 49 receive invitations every three years. People aged 50 to 64 receive invitations every five years.   

Find out what to expect during a cervical screening appointment.

Breast cancer screening

You'll automatically get your first invite to a breast cancer screening between the age of 50 and 53. After this, you’ll be invited every three years until you turn 71.  

Routine breast screening now takes place within The Glassworks at the new Community Diagnostic centre. If you’ve received a breast screening letter, then you’ll need to call 01226 432100 to book your appointment. 

This video shows what to expect during a breast screening appointment.

Bowel cancer screening

Bowel cancer screening is currently available to men and women aged between 60 and 74. However, the programme is expanding to make screening available to everyone aged between 50 and 59 years old. This will happen gradually over four years and started in April 2021.  

For the screening, you’ll use a home test kit, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT). This is sent directly to your home every two years to collect a small sample of poo which will be sent to a lab.   

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer affects many families across the borough, which is why we want to help more men get the best possible treatment to beat this condition. We’re working with Prostate Cancer UK to make checking your risk simple.

Early prostate cancer doesn’t usually come with any symptoms. This is why knowing your risk is so important, as the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to treat.

There are key risk factors which can make you more likely to get prostate cancer, such as your age and ethnicity. One factor that can’t be overlooked is your family history, as you're two and a half times more likely to get it if your father or brother has been diagnosed with it. Watch Anthony's and David's videos below to hear about their experiences and why knowing your prostate cancer risk is so important.

You can find out your risk of prostate cancer online. It takes 30 seconds, involves answering three simple questions, and could save your life.

Please encourage your friends, family members and colleagues to check their risk online too. Together, we can help look after our communities and give prostate cancer the chop in Barnsley. If you're interested in sharing our campaign in your business or group, please visit our key messages webpage to download our campaign materials.

If you notice any changes in your body, please speak to your GP. To learn more about prostate cancer, including the symptoms to look out for, visit the Prostate Cancer UK website.

Anthony's story

Due to his family history of prostate cancer, Anthony wanted to be checked regularly as he got older. He was diagnosed in 2019 after he noticed a few symptoms his father also had.

Thanks to speedy action from the NHS, Anthony has made a full recovery and got back to doing the things he loves, such as running, cycling and going to the gym.

As Anthony says in his video, getting checked can either stop you worrying or help you get the support you need. Watch his video to learn more.

David's story

David lives and works in the Barnsley area. His advice to men is to not hide behind a stone; speak about prostate cancer and make sure to get tested.

Early prostate cancer often doesn’t come with any symptoms, which is why getting checked is so important. The Prostate Cancer UK's risk checker is really easy to use - all you need to do is visit their website and answer a few questions.

If you do need to get checked, all you’ll need is a simple blood test. Watch David's video to learn more.

How you can prevent cancer

You can reduce your risk of cancer by leading a healthy lifestyle. This can be by:

  • stopping smoking
  • eating a healthy balanced diet
  • protecting your skin from sun damage
  • drinking less alcohol
  • staying a healthy weight

To find out more about how you can reduce your risk of cancer and the help available, visit the NHS website and Cancer Research UK.

#BeThatFriend campaign

With the support of our partners, we’ve developed the #BeThatFriend campaign. These have been developed to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of different cancers. If a friend, family member or colleague mentions that they’ve noticed a change in their body we should play our part and advise them to seek medical advice. Take a look at some of our #BeThatFriend campaign videos: