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Nurse Fights to Lower Breast Cancer Screening Age
21 Jan
Summary
- A nurse advocates for lowering the UK's mammogram screening age from 50 to 40.
- Breast cancer cases in UK women aged 25-49 increased by 14.4%.
- A petition to lower the screening age has over 30,000 signatures.
A UK chemotherapy nurse is urgently calling for a change in breast cancer screening protocols, advocating to lower the mammogram age from 50 to 40. She has observed a noticeable increase in breast cancer diagnoses among patients under 50, many of whom have young families and demanding careers.
Official data from Cancer Research UK supports this concern, indicating a 14.4% rise in female breast cancer cases for those aged 25 to 49 between 1993-1995 and 2018-2021. The nurse has initiated an online petition, which has already gathered over 30,000 signatures, aiming to prompt parliamentary debate.
However, some medical professionals express reservations, citing potential issues like higher rates of false positives and the increased density of breast tissue in younger women, which can make mammograms less accurate. These concerns suggest a need for careful risk-benefit evaluations for widespread early screening.
The Department of Health has stated that it does not currently plan to lower the screening age, adhering to scientific advice. Nevertheless, the UK National Screening Committee is reviewing new trial findings that could potentially extend screening ages.
