Written question asked by John MacDougall (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 October 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 23 October 2002. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Wednesday, 23 October 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason there is an explicit upper age limit for routine breast screening. - (Holding answer 21 October 2002).

Answer: Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason there is an explicit upper age limit for routine breast screening. [76130] Ms Blears: [holding answer 21 October 2002]: The Forrest report, on which the National Health Service breast screening programme was based when it began in 1988, recommend that women aged 50 to 64 should be invited for breast screening. The Forrest report found that, in view of poor response rates, there was insufficient benefit to be gained by actively offering screening to women aged 65 or over. Women aged 65 and over are able to self-refer for breast screening every three years. Women who have participated in the programme are informed of this right at the age of 64. Government funded pilot studies have now shown that extending routine invitations for breast screening to women aged 65 to 70 is both feasible and cost-effective. The NHS Cancer Plan gave the commitment that the programme will be extended to women aged 70 by 2004. There is little research evidence to show whether population screening in the over 70s is effective in reducing mortality. What little evidence there is suggests that screening in this way may not be effective and could even do more harm than good to some women. However, for some individual women there will always be a clear benefit in screening. Women aged over 70 will be offered free three yearly screening on request, as are women aged 65 and over now.

Secondary information