'Lower NHS mammogram age from 50 to 40' update as government issues response

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued an update following demands to reduce the age for routine NHS mammograms across the UK. Whilst women between 50 and 71 are currently invited for these examinations, a petition has proposed that people should be called from 40 to identify more breast cancer cases early.

The campaign, featured on Parliament's website, has garnered over 23,000 signatures since its launch in October. This comes amidst 56,900 fresh breast cancer diagnoses in the UK annually, equivalent to more than 150 daily, according to Cancer Research.

In its response, the DHSC said: "In line with independent advice from the UK National Screening Committee, the Government does not intend to lower the age or increase the frequency of breast screens.

"The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), and it is only where the offer to screen provides more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended. The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process."

In the UK, women are automatically invited for their initial breast screening between the ages of 50 and 53, with subsequent invitations every three years until they reach 71. Transgender and non-binary people may also be eligible for mammograms, but may need to consult their GP surgery for advice initially.

The examination typically involves a female specialist conducting four breast X-rays, or mammograms. These scans are brief, meaning the entire appointment typically lasts around 30 minutes.

Despite the importance of these scans in detecting cancer, which can often be too small to see or feel, the DHSC has highlighted that there are associated risks. For instance, this includes a slightly increased risk of radiation-induced cancer.

Government statistics reveal that if a woman attends all seven screening examinations between the ages of 50 and her 71st birthday, the risk of a radiation-induced cancer is between one in 7,000 and one in 14,000.

In its response, the DHSC continued: "As screening programmes can also cause harms, each of the adult screening programmes has both an upper and lower age range, within which there is good scientific evidence that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

"Women younger than the age of 50 are not routinely screened for breast cancer due to the lower risk of women under this age developing breast cancer, and the fact that women below 50 tend to have denser breasts. The denseness of breast tissue reduces the ability of getting an accurate mammogram, the accepted screening test for breast cancer.

"Due to this and other factors, there is a risk of over-treatment and distress for women who do not have breast cancer but would be subjected to invasive and painful medical treatments and diagnostic tests."

Beyond this, the DHSC emphasised that the UK's screening programme is 'in line with most European countries', with the majority evaluating women between the ages of 50 and 69. It also noted that women at heightened risk of breast cancer may be offered earlier and more frequent evaluations, sometimes utilising an MRI instead.

"The UK NSC keeps these age brackets under review. The Committee recognises that screening programmes are not static and that, over time, they may need to change to be more effective. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the evidence relating to the provision of additional breast screening for women who have dense breast tissue in the summer of 2025 and invited stakeholders’ feedback on the findings to inform future work.

"In addition, the AgeX – age extension – breast screening research trial has been looking at the effectiveness of offering some women an extra screen between the ages of 47 and 49, and between the ages of 71 and 73. When the results are available, the report will be reviewed by the UK NSC."

The petition entitled 'Lower the age for invites to regular mammograms to 40 & perform annually' has garnered over 23,000 signatures. Should it reach 100,000, it will be considered for a parliamentary debate.

You can read the petition in full, along with its response, on Parliament's website here.