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. 2022 Nov 12;128(3):481–483. doi: 10.1038/s41416-022-02054-4

Table 1.

The number of referrals, first treatments, screen-detected cancers and stage at diagnosis for breast cancer in England for March–April 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22.

Year
2019/2020 2020/2021 2021/2022
% (N) % (N) % (N)
aNumber of referrals 609,664 552,993 667,136
  Urgent referrals 71.2 (433,880) 76.8 (424,970) 76.9 (512,782)
  Routine referrals 28.8 (175,784) 23.2 (128,023) 23.1 (154,354)
a,bNumber of first treatments 49,050 37,770 49,963
  <50 years 16.3 (8012) 18.6 (7027) 14.3 (7156)
  50–69 years 49.0 (24,037) 46.6 (17,683) 51.9 (25,945)
  70+ years 34.7 (17,001) 34.6 (13,060) 33.7 (16,862)
cNumber of screen-detected cancers 17,714 10,835 Awaited
dNumber of invasive cancers 45,560 37,309 47,493
  Stage 1 32.5 (14,829) 27.6 (10,296) 30.6 (14,543)
  Stage 2 30.7 (13,969) 32.6 (12,170) 30.5 (14,486)
  Stage 3 7.7 (3524) 8.3 (3105) 6.7 (3163)
  Stage 4 3.1 (1390) 3.9 (1451) 3.2 (1522)
  Unknown 26.0 (11,848) 27.6 (10,287) 29.0 (13,779)

Data shown are publicly available at:

aCancer Waiting Time data at NHS England https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/

bCOVID-19 Cancer Equity data packs http://www.ncin.org.uk/local_cancer_intelligence/cadeas#covid-19

cBreast Screening Programme https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/breast-screening-programme

dCOVID-19 Rapid Cancer Registration and Treatment Data https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/covid-19/rcrd