Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the age threshold for routine breast cancer screening invitations.

The age thresholds for the current breast screening programme are based on recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries. Screening women younger than 50 years old for breast cancer is currently not recommended due to their lower risk of developing breast cancer, and the fact that women below 50 years old tend to have denser breast tissue which reduces the likelihood of an accurate mammogram. This may increase the risk of over treatment and distress for women who do not have breast cancer but would be subjected to invasive and painful medical treatments and diagnostic tests.

The UK NSC is awaiting the results of screening in younger age cohorts from the AgeX trial which is looking at the benefits and risks of extending the age when women are invited for breast screening. The UK NSC Secretariat is in close contact with the researchers and will review the results as soon as they are available.