Lower the age that breast screening services are offered

I would like the breast screening age to be lowered and offered to men. The screening programme says that it is more common for 50+ year olds to be diagnosed with breast cancer however I was 27 when diagnosed. I have had to undergo chemotherapy and will need surgery and radiotherapy.

Breast cancer does not only affect women over 50, it affects many women in their 20s, 30s and 40s and they aren’t offered screening unless there is a family history or an abnormality that they must find themselves. Men can also be affected by breast cancer so are equally entitled to screenings.

Early detection could mean women have treatment at an earlier stage, and early action should prevent deaths and mean simpler treatment as it would be caught sooner.

Breast cancer can be a devastating disease, affecting people of all ages and genders.

The Government recognises your concerns and is committed to the early detection and treatment of breast cancer as part of our commitment to detect 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2, and for 55,000 more people to survive cancer for five years in England each year from 2028, as detailed in the NHS Long Term Plan.

As you rightly identify, population screening programmes are crucial to detecting cancer as early as possible and therefore increasing the likelihood of survival through early treatment. The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHS BSP) in England offers all women aged between 50 and their 71st birthday the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer, in order to detect abnormalities.

Breast screening is offered from age 50 because the chance of developing breast cancer increases with age: four out of five breast cancers develop in women over 50. The 2012 UK independent review of breast cancer screening (the Marmot review) estimated that inviting women aged 50-70 reduces mortality from breast cancer in the population invited by 20% and saves an estimated 1,300 lives a year. You can read the review here: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/cr_common/@nre/@pol/documents/generalcontent/breast-screening-report.pdf

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises the Government and the NHS on all aspects of screening. The UK NSC will only recommend a screening programme when it can be demonstrated that the benefits of the programme clearly outweigh any harm they may cause, for example from false positives or overtreatment. You can find the criteria here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-review-criteria-national-screening-programmes/criteria-for-appraising-the-viability-effectiveness-and-appropriateness-of-a-screening-programme.