Breast screening for over-70s ‘saves lives’

BREAST cancer screening for the over-70s significantly cuts death rates, scientists said yesterday.

The checks, which are currently being denied to millions of women in the age category, were found to increase survival rates by up to 27 per cent.

The NHS has barred women over 70 from requesting screening in an effort to tackle backlogs caused by the pandemic.

But a new Swedish study highlights the possible effects of leaving out the over-70s. The researchers tracked thousands of women, all diagnosed with cancer in their seventies, over an average of 20 years to judge their survival chances.

Women who attended screening at an older age were 27 per cent less likely to die from breast cancer, compared with those screened only up to the age of 69.

Dr Hakan Jonsson, lead author of the study by the department of epidemiology and global health at Umea University, said: ‘The results confirm that the Swedish assessment of setting the upper age limit for mammography screening at 74 was justified. Our study shows a clear effect of screening if it is continued after 69.

‘This now needs to be examined through separate research in the UK.

‘Screening is an initiative meant to battle a serious health problem, and while women aged 50 to 70 is the focus of the current NHS recommendations, if we believe screening over-70s is effective, it would be better for the age limit to be increased.’

While routine NHS breast screening invitations are offered only to women aged 50 to 70, older women have been encouraged to request a check every three years. But last month NHS England wrote to thousands of GPs ordering them to stop advertising these checks to concerned patients aged 71 and over.

The screening programme, which prevents around 1,300 deaths and detects 19,000 cases a year, was suspended for four months in March. Clinics are catching up on a backlog of checks on younger women.

Zara Schneider, Cancer Research UK’s health information officer, said: ‘Overall, the evidence suggests that for women over the age of 70 the harms of breast cancer screening outweigh the benefits. And this study did not look at the possible harms, such as overdiagnosis, where a cancer is picked up that would never have caused a problem.’

An NHS spokesman said: ‘Routine breast screening services are running across the country with over 400,000 people invited for screening over the summer.

‘Screening is also offered to women identified as being at very high risk and it is vital that women contact their GP to discuss any concerns they have about any changes to their breasts – regardless of age – and they will be treated. Screening services will also shortly be reopening for older women who would like to continue to be screened.’