How long are mammograms kept

The packet should be reviewed and any mammograms and associated paperwork which relates to screening attendances 9 or more years previously should be removed for disposal. If the attendance is in response to a final routine screening invitation, then the screening packet should be flagged with the year of attendance.

This will allow the screening packet to be reviewed periodically if there are no further attendances. It is recommended that the packet be retained for a period of 9 years from the date of the final attendance. If the attendance is a self-referral, then the screening packet should be flagged with the year of attendance.

If a woman does not attend for a routine screening invitation, her screening packet should still be reviewed. Mammograms taken 9 or more years previously and the associated screening record should be removed for disposal unless the packet has been marked otherwise by the medical screen reader - see Interesting cases.

If the invitation is the final routine screening invitation, the screening packet should be flagged with the year of the last attendance. The packet should be disposed of after a period of 9 years from the date of the final attendance. Screening records held on the screening office computer system should be retained indefinitely. The disposal of any films and paperwork as described above should be noted on the system.

This means that a complete history of screening attendance and results can be retrieved at any time if required for research or legal reasons. Normal screening packets should be flagged with the year of final attendance as described in the final routine attendance and self-referral with normal result sections. They should be retained for at least 9 years from the date of the final attendance.

If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer through the breast screening programme, the screening packet should then be marked accordingly. No mammograms or paper records should be removed from the screening packet after the date of diagnosis and the complete screening packet should be retained indefinitely. If a woman is diagnosed with an interval cancer, the screening packet should be marked accordingly.

If the screening unit knows that a woman has died, they should retrieve the screening packet and flag it with the year of her final attendance. The packet should be retained for a period of 9 years from the date of the final attendance. If the woman is known to have died from a screen detected cancer or an interval cancer, the screening packet should be kept indefinitely see records of screen detected cancers and records of interval cancers. Otherwise, screening packets for such women should be reviewed, retained or transferred in accordance with paragraphs relating to routine screening attendance with normal result , normal screening packets , requests from symptomatic services and women known to have moved away , in this guidance.

Requests from symptomatic services for screening mammograms for women who are attending for symptomatic investigations or treatment should be dealt with promptly.

It is a matter for local decision as to whether the screening unit retains a copy of the screening packet. The screening office must keep a record of screening packet movement.

All films and paperwork relating to women who are known to have moved away must be forwarded to the NHSBSP screening office taking over her care, without charge. Requests for screening packets of women moving into an area should be submitted to the previous screening office in writing or by fax only.

Screening offices must keep detailed records of screening packet movement. A local policy on film and paperwork retention must be agreed and documented when forwarding screening packets to other screening services as a result of women moving. It is recommended that the films and paperwork of women with screen detected cancers, interval cancers, and interesting cases be copied prior to forwarding to the new screening office.

These copy packets must then be retained indefinitely as described above in paragraphs relating to records of screen detected cancers, records of interval cancers and women known to have died. It is a local issue as to whether the films and paperwork of women with normal results be copied and stored by the sending screening service prior to dispatch of the originals and is governed by the availability of physical and financial resources for this task.

Any copy packets must then be retained in a similar manner as the original screening packets described in the paragraph relating to normal screening results - retained for 9 years from the last known attendance. As the number of women screened increases and is set to increase further over the next few years, space for screening packet storage is a major problem for hospital trusts. Some alternatives to the traditional filing systems are suggested below and should be considered by those services facing major storage problems.

Early implementation of the retention and disposal policy as described above is essential. Fact: You do not need your doctor to write you a prescription or complete an order form for you to have a screening mammogram. Women can self-request to make an appointment for their annual mammogram for earlier detection of breast cancer.

One of the best things you can do to protect and improve your health is to stay informed. Myth 2: A mammogram will expose me to an unsafe level of radiation.

A mammogram is an important step in taking care of yourself and your breasts but not knowing what to anticipate can be stressful.

Myth 3: A 3-D mammogram is the same as a traditional mammogram. Learn about this webinar. Myth 4: If I have any type of cancer in my breast tissue, a screening mammogram is guaranteed to find it. Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter One of the best things you can do to protect and improve your health is to stay informed. Sign Up. If a patient has not returned for another mammogram at the facility within five years of her most recent exam performed there, the facility cannot know when she might return for another exam or might request her exams , so her mammograms must be retained for up to five additional years 10 years in total in case she returns or makes such a request.

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