Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of lowering the breast cancer screening age.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) awaits the publication of the Age Extension Trial before a recommendation can be made to the Department. The results of the trial will be critical to providing a better understanding of the benefits and harms of offering screening outside the recommended screening ages. Publication of the AgeX trial is expected in 2026. The UK NSC is in contact with the researchers and will review the findings as soon as they are available. Any changes to national screening policy are made on the basis of robust evidence where the benefit to screen outweighs the harms.