Guidance

Breast screening: clinical guidelines for screening assessment

NHSBSP Publication No 49: clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals screening women for breast cancer.

Applies to England

Documents

Clinical guidelines for breast cancer screening assessment: fourth edition

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Details

The aim of assessment is to obtain a definitive and timely diagnosis of all potential abnormalities detected during screening.

This is best achieved by using ‘triple assessment’, comprising:

  • imaging (usually mammography and ultrasound)
  • clinical examination
  • image guided needle biopsy for histological examination if indicated

Cytology should no longer be used alone to obtain a non-operative diagnosis of breast cancer.

Updates to this page

Published 1 June 2010
Last updated 29 July 2025 show all updates
  1. Changed lead organisation from Public Health England to NHS England.

  2. Updated with new 2016 clinical guidance.

  3. First published.

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