Written question asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Thursday, 9 December 2010.

Health: Mammograms

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will offer annual mammograms to women over the age of 40.

Answer: Under the National Health Service breast screening programme, women aged between 50 and 70 are invited for free breast screening every three years, and we are in the process of extending the programme to invite women aged 47 to 73. These arrangements are based on the best available evidence and are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. The Royal College of Radiologists Breast Group recommends that screening for women aged 40 to 49 is not routinely done except under specific circumstances, such as increased risk of breast cancer because of family history. The independent Advisory Committee for Breast Cancer Screening, which advises the Government on breast screening policy in England, regularly reviews any new data or studies that are published about the effectiveness of breast screening.

Secondary information