Victoria Derbyshire’s most cancers anguish as she admits ‘I did not suppose I’d see my boys develop up’

BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire has told of her fears that she wouldn’t live to see her children grow up as part of a landmark NHS cancer drive.

The Newsnight anchor and breast cancer survivor is among a host of celebrities backing the first-ever NHS screening awareness campaign calling on women to take up their invite for a routine mammogram. It comes as NHS England releases new data showing 46.3% of women invited for the first time don’t attend.

The NHS estimated that if screening attendance could be improved to 80% of those eligible next year then 7,500 additional breast cancers detected at an earlier stage in 2025/26. Such a rise would mean 9,25,000 more women being screened in than in 2022/23.

The NHS campaign will also include broadcaster and presenter Julia Bradbury and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas who will write ‘unofficial’ invitation letters to women. In hers, Victoria Derbyshire writes: “When I was diagnosed I thought I wouldn’t get to see my two little boys grow up, who were then aged eight and 11. I thought I wouldn’t get to grow old with my partner Mark. I’m still here thanks to the skill of the NHS and 2025 will be 10 years since I was diagnosed. Breast screening might just help save your life. Please go.”

The presenter survived the cancer and in 2018 her sons Ollie, 20, and Joe, 17, walked her down the aisle when she wed journalist Mark Sandell after almost two decades together.

Latest NHS data for 2023/24 shows only around two thirds of women are turning up for their mammograms. Women registered with a GP are automatically invited for NHS breast screening for the first time between the ages of 50 and 53, then every three years until their 71st birthday. Women aged 71 and over can self-refer for screening.

Victoria Derbyshire, 56, added: “I’ve had breast screening multiple times. For me it was painless and I was happy to be screened. My motivation was to make sure any irregularities were picked up – because the earlier breast cancer is detected, the greater the chance of survival.”

Public Health Minister Ashley Dalton revealed last month she has been diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. The 52-year-old told her constituents that “currently there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer but it is treatable”, insisting she was working “business as usual”. The Labour MP for West Lancashire was then announced the new health minister last week after Andrew Gwynne was sacked over allegedly offensive comments on a WhatsApp group.

Ms Dalton said: “As someone living with metastatic breast cancer, I know the importance of screening and early diagnosis. I urge all women to come forward for screening when they are contacted by the NHS – it could be life saving. Over the coming year, the investment and reforms this government is making will see an extra 100,000 patients are seen on time. We have also started using the latest AI technologies to help catch the disease earlier.”

While most women attending screening will receive peace of mind that they have no early signs of breast cancer, the NHS encouraged women to ensure they continue to check their breasts regularly between their screening appointments and to get any unusual changes checked out by their GP. The NHS campaign is being supported by the charity Breast Cancer Now and launches with a new advert across TV, radio and online.

NHS England’s cancer director Dame Cally Palmer, said: “Breast screening detects breast cancers earlier and saves lives but we know for many women there can be lots of reasons why they might be reluctant to come forward, or why it’s not top of the priority list in their very busy lives.

“That’s why the NHS has today launched its first-ever campaign to support more women to make the most of breast screening and to address some of the misgivings and misconceptions they might have. We hope that by hearing other women’s stories, it will reassure them and remind them why screening is so important.”

The NHS is launching a new “ping and book” service, with women already starting to get alerts to their phones via the NHS App to remind them they are due or overdue an appointment.

Breast screening does have some risks. Some women who have screening will be diagnosed and treated for slow-growing breast cancers that may never otherwise have been found or caused them harm. Mammograms also do not always find a cancer that is there, but most people feel the benefits of breast screening outweigh the possible risks.

Jo Harby, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “Every day, more than 150 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. Thanks to the national breast screening programme, thousands of cancer cases are detected at an earlier stage when treatment is more likely to be successful.

“It’s your choice whether to attend breast screening, and that’s why it’s so important to read the information that comes with your invitation. Screening is for people without symptoms so if you notice any changes that aren’t normal for you, don’t wait for your next screening invite, talk to your doctor.”