Breast screening review

The overall aim of the review is to develop an up-to-date assessment of both the benefits and harms associated with population breast screening programmes. This will involve a rigorous review of all the latest evidence by the independent panel to decide if the current screening programme needs to be changed.

The panel consists of nationally and internationally recognised experts in epidemiology and/or medical statistics as well as in current breast cancer diagnosis and treatment practices. No panel member has previously published on breast screening, thus helping to ensure an objective and independent assessment of the evidence. A patient advocate is providing input to the independent review.  

The terms of reference are available to download:

• Breast Screening Review: Terms of Reference

The panel has called on a range of experts, from both sides of the debate, to give evidence for consideration by the panel. The expert witnesses who have presented to the panel and debated points relevant to the review to date are:

• Philippe Autier, Director, International Prevention Research Institute (iPRI), Lyon, France
• Michael Baum, Professor Emeritus of surgery and visiting Professor of medical humanities, University College London
• Dame Valerie Beral, Professor of epidemiology and Director, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford
• Susan Bewley, Professor of Complex Obstetrics at King’s College London
• Stephen Duffy, Professor of Cancer Screening, Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, Queen Mary University London
• Harry de Koning, Professor of Screening Evaluation, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
• Ian Ellis, Professor of Cancer Pathology, University of Nottingham
• Peter Gøtzsche,  Director, Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Klim McPherson, Professor of Public Health Epidemiology, Oxford University
• Albert Mulley, Director, Dartmouth Centre for Health Care Delivery Science and Professor of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth, USA
• Lennarth Nyström, Associate Professor, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umea University, Sweden
• Julietta Patnick, Director, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and Visiting Professor, University of Oxford
• Sir Richard Peto, Professor of Medical Statistics & Epidemiology, Co-director of the Clinical Trial Service Unit, University of Oxford
• Paul Pharoah, Senior Clinical Research Fellow, University of Cambridge
• Sir Nick Wald, Institute Director, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London Medical School
• Jane Wardle, Professor in Clinical Psychology and Director, Health Behaviour Unit, University College London
• Robin Wilson, Consultant Radiologist, The Royal Marsden, London

These expert witnesses have also suggested additional scientific evidence for consideration by the panel – the current bibliography is available here and will be updated as the review progresses.    

The panel is chaired by Professor Sir Michael G Marmot, Director of the Institute of Health Equity, University College London; Chair, European Review on the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide;  Director, International Institute for Society and Health and MRC Research Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London.

Sir Michael Marmot has led a research group on health inequalities for 35 years. He is Principal Investigator of the Whitehall II Studies of British Civil Servants, investigating explanations for the striking inverse social gradient in morbidity and mortality. He leads the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and is engaged in several international research efforts on the social determinants of health.  He was a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution for six years, and served as President of the British Medical Association (BMA) in 2010-2011.  He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy, and an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians.

The other panellists are:

• Professor Doug G Altman, Director of the Centre for Statistics in Medicine and Cancer Research UK Medical Statistics Group, University of Oxford.  Doug’s varied research interests include the use and abuse of statistics in medical research, studies of prognosis, regression modeling, systematic reviews, randomised trials, and studies of medical measurement. He is actively involved in efforts to improve the quality of scientific publications by promoting transparent and accurate reporting of health research.
• Professor David A Cameron, Clinical Director of the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Director of Cancer Services at NHS Lothian and Professor of Oncology at Edinburgh University. Previously, David was the Director of the NIHR National Cancer Research Network and Professor of Oncology at Leeds University.  His research interests are in translational and clinical trials in breast cancer and he is the principal investigator of several clinical trials looking at adjuvant therapies. Before qualifying as a medical doctor, David completed an undergraduate degree in Mathematics.
• Professor John A Dewar, Consultant and honorary Professor of Clinical Oncology. Until recently, John was Head of Oncology at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. John has a long standing interest in the management of patients with breast cancer and has been closely involved in clinical trials of both radiotherapy and systemic therapy for breast cancer.
• Professor Simon G Thompson, Director of Research in Biostatistics at the University of Cambridge. Simon’s research interests are in meta-analysis and evidence synthesis, clinical trial methodology, health economic evaluation, and cardiovascular epidemiology. He has collaborated on a number of major clinical trials, recently including all the major UK national trials of screening and treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms.
• Maggie Willcox, patient advocate. Maggie was a Health Visitor for many years before working as Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in palliative care prior to her breast cancer diagnosis in 1997. After early retirement following her treatment, she became involved in patient advocacy in cancer services and research. She now provides a patient voice at national and local level as a member of various organisations, including the National Cancer Research Institute Breast Clinical Study Group and the Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire Network Breast Site Specific Group.

Cancer Research UK’s role in the review is to ensure that the process is thorough, independent and fair. We have no influence on the independent panel. We will provide project management and support to the panel and communicate regular updates on the review process on this page. Following the end of the review, we will facilitate a workshop to discuss the review’s findings and recommendations.

If you have any questions about the independent breast screening review, please contact the secretariat at Cancer Research UK on breastscreeningreview@cancer.org.uk