Ethnic minority patients in England less likely to get breast cancer diagnosis via screening, study finds

Analysis of 86,564 diagnoses finds Black, Asian, mixed and deprived background patients up to a third less likely to be caught by routine screening

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published25 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources2 outlets

Illustration: Ethnic minority patients in England less likely to get breast cancer diagnosis via screening, study finds

A University of Surrey analysis of 86,564 breast cancer diagnoses in England has found that people from Black, Asian and mixed backgrounds, and those from deprived backgrounds, are up to a third less likely to be diagnosed through routine screening and more likely to be diagnosed in an emergency setting.

People from minority ethnic and deprived backgrounds in England are up to a third less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer through routine screening, and more likely to be diagnosed in an emergency setting, analysis has found.

The research, by academics at the University of Surrey and funded by the charity Breast Cancer Now, examined 86,564 adults diagnosed with the disease between 2009 and 2019, drawing on the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Cancer Registration Tumour and Treatment datasets.

It found that people from Black, Asian and mixed backgrounds, alongside people from deprived backgrounds, were up to 33% less likely to be diagnosed via screening. These groups were up to 31% more likely to be diagnosed through an urgent suspected cancer referral, and up to 37% more likely to be diagnosed via emergency presentation.

Manveet Basra, associate director of public health, inclusion and awareness at Breast Cancer Now, said the analysis showed people from marginalised groups "face inequalities at every stage of their breast cancer experience, and tragically this impacts their survival rates." She described the charity as determined to improve breast cancer care and outcomes, working with policymakers to improve equal access to screening, and ensuring its information, campaigns and support services reflect the diverse needs of everyone affected by the disease.

The research also found that people with a learning disability had poorer outcomes: their time to diagnosis was 18% longer than for people without a learning disability, and they faced a 10% longer wait for treatment.

The findings add to earlier evidence of unequal outcomes. A previous analysis found that about one in three people from ethnic minority backgrounds required three or more GP interactions before a cancer diagnosis, compared with one in five people across England, based on the NHS cancer patient experience 2022 survey. Research from the UK Health Security Agency has also suggested that young black women are more likely to have aggressive breast cancer tumours, experience poorer care and have higher mortality rates, while being significantly under-represented in clinical research.

Dr Rob Kerrison, associate professor of cancer care at the University of Surrey and the study's lead investigator, said: "We know that some groups of women in the UK have poorer breast cancer survival than others, but until now we have had only a limited understanding of why. Our findings suggest that inequalities in access to screening and timely treatment may be part of the explanation. If we are serious about improving breast cancer outcomes, we need to ensure that everyone can access screening and receive prompt treatment, regardless of their background or circumstances."

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, accounting for about one in four cancer cases and a leading cause of death in women under 50, so how early the disease is caught has a direct bearing on survival.
The study identifies which groups are being missed by routine screening in England, pointing to delays in diagnosis and treatment that the researchers link to poorer outcomes.
The findings reinforce the case for action on equal access to screening, which the charity behind the research says it is already pursuing with policymakers.

Background

Breast cancer screening in England is offered through the NHS so the disease can be detected before symptoms appear. Earlier evidence has already shown unequal outcomes: a previous analysis found that ethnic minority patients often need more GP visits before a cancer diagnosis than the population as a whole, and research from the UK Health Security Agency has suggested young black women are more likely to have aggressive tumours and be under-represented in clinical studies. The new analysis, funded by Breast Cancer Now, is part of a push to identify the reasons behind these inequalities.

What to Watch

Whether the findings prompt changes in how NHS screening programmes reach ethnic minority, deprived and learning-disabled communities.
Whether Breast Cancer Now's stated work with policymakers results in concrete measures on equal access to screening.
Whether further research identifies the specific barriers behind the longer waits, and whether diagnosis and treatment times narrow as a result.

Sources

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedDr Rob Kerrison’s quotation moves directly from the sentence about the explanation to “If we are serious”, omitting an intervening sentence without an ellipsis.World news | The Guardian: ““Women from a range of disadvantaged and under-served groups were less likely to have their cancer detected through screening and often waited longer to start treatment.””
SupportedEthnic minority patients in England are less likely to receive a breast cancer diagnosis through routine screening.World news | The Guardian: “Ethnic minorities in England less likely to get breast cancer diagnosis from routine screening.”
SupportedThe analysis found that people from Black, Asian and mixed backgrounds, and deprived backgrounds, were up to a third less likely to be diagnosed through screening and more likely to be diagnosed in an emergency setting.World news | The Guardian: “People from Black, Asian and mixed backgrounds, alongside people from deprived backgrounds, were up to 33% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via screening, while these groups were also up to 31% more likely to be diagnosed via urgent suspected cancer referral, and up to 37% more likely to be diagnosed via emergency presentation.”
SupportedThe research analysed 86,564 adults diagnosed between 2009 and 2019, using two named datasets.World news | The Guardian: “involved analysis of 86,564 adults diagnosed with the disease between 2009 and 2019, from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Cancer Registration Tumour and Treatment datasets.”
SupportedThe groups were up to 33% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via screening.World news | The Guardian: “people from Black, Asian and mixed backgrounds, alongside people from deprived backgrounds, were up to 33% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via screening”
SupportedThe groups were up to 31% more likely to be diagnosed through an urgent suspected cancer referral.World news | The Guardian: “these groups were also up to 31% more likely to be diagnosed via urgent suspected cancer referral”
SupportedThe groups were up to 37% more likely to be diagnosed via emergency presentation.World news | The Guardian: “up to 37% more likely to be diagnosed via emergency presentation.”
SupportedManveet Basra said people from marginalised groups “face inequalities at every stage of their breast cancer experience, and tragically this impacts their survival rates.”World news | The Guardian: “Manveet Basra, the associate director of public health, inclusion and awareness at Breast Cancer Now, said the analysis revealed that people from marginalised groups “face inequalities at every stage of their breast cancer experience, and tragically this impacts their survival rates”.”
SupportedPeople with a learning disability had an 18% longer time to diagnosis and a 10% longer wait for treatment.World news | The Guardian: “their time to diagnosis was 18% longer than people without a learning disability, and they faced a 10% longer wait time for treatment.”
SupportedA previous analysis found that about one in three people from ethnic minority backgrounds had three or more GP interactions before diagnosis, compared with one in five people across England, based on the 2022 NHS cancer patient experience survey.World news | The Guardian: “On average, one in five people across England require three or more GP interactions before being diagnosed with cancer. But for people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the figure rises to one in three, according to analysis of the NHS cancer patient experience 2022 survey”
SupportedUK Health Security Agency research suggested young Black women are more likely to have aggressive breast cancer tumours, experience poorer care and have higher mortality rates, while being under-represented in clinical research.World news | The Guardian: “Research from the UK Health Security Agency has also suggested that young black women are more likely to have aggressive breast cancer tumours, experience poorer care and have higher mortality rates, but are significantly under-represented in clinical research.”
SupportedDr Rob Kerrison is an associate professor of cancer care at the University of Surrey and the study’s lead investigator.World news | The Guardian: “Dr Rob Kerrison, an associate professor of cancer care and co-lead of the cancer care expert group at the University of Surrey and the lead investigator of this study”