The varying influence of socioeconomic deprivation on breast cancer screening uptake in London

BACKGROUND We assessed the relationship between screening uptake and socioeconomic deprivation for London women aged 50-52 invited to their first routine screening appointment between 2006 and 2009. METHODS We examined uptake for London overall and within six screening areas, using deprivation quintile, based on post code of residence. RESULTS After adjustment for age, area and ethnicity, overall uptake decreased with increasing deprivation (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.95, P < 0.001). However, in two screening areas with lower uptake, women living in deprived areas had higher uptake than women from affluent areas. CONCLUSIONS These potential inequalities in early diagnosis across London require further investigation.