Jackie Wilson (56), from Burnside, celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary this summer with the trip of a lifetime to Bali and Singapore. But this dream holiday may never have happened if she hadn’t attended her routine breast screening appointment the year before.
In March 2024, Jackie went for her scheduled mammogram at the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Breast Screening Clinic in Nelson Mandela Place. Within a week, she was called back for a biopsy and quickly referred to Gartnavel Hospital. There, she received the news, a three-centimetre lump had been found deep in her breast. It was breast cancer.
“I was shocked,” Jackie said. “I check my breasts regularly at home, but I was told the lump was so deep I wouldn’t have felt it. That’s why breast screening is so important.”
Jackie’s treatment began with six months of chemotherapy. Post-treatment scans revealed the lump had disappeared, and her surgeon proceeded with surgery to remove the surrounding tissue, followed by radiotherapy in January.
“I was back at work by March,” Jackie said. “I couldn’t believe how fortunate I was to have caught it early. If I hadn’t gone for screening, the outcome could have been very different.”
One in eight women in Scotland will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But when it’s found early, the chances of successful treatment are much higher. In fact, women are five times more likely to survive. Breast screening alone saves around 130 lives every year in Scotland.
Breast screening helps detect cancers that are too small to see or feel. That’s why every woman who receives an invitation is encouraged to attend. It could be lifesaving.
Now feeling “fantastic,” Jackie is enjoying life again. “We celebrated our anniversary in style, flying Business Class to Bali and Singapore. It was amazing. I’m so thankful to my husband, daughter, and everyone who supported me. We got through it with humour. That’s just who we are!”
Jackie also praised the NHSGGC staff who cared for her. “They were incredible. Kind, professional, and supportive every step of the way,” she said.
Her message to others is clear:
“Go for your breast screening. It saved my life—and it could save yours too. It’s not scary, and the staff are brilliant. Please don’t miss out.”
Eligible women living in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, will either be invited to the NHSGGC breast screening centre in Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow City Centre or to one of NHSGGC’s breast screening mobile units that visit localities throughout the year.
This mobile unit, often called the screening bus, is a welcoming, private, and accessible space, designed to make visits as comfortable and supportive as possible.
Each appointment involves a mammogram, four quick X-rays, two of each breast, carried out by a specially trained female mammographer. The process only takes a few minutes, and there’s time beforehand to ask questions or share any concerns.
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