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.