Test ALL women for breast cancer from age 30 – one in five are ‘at higher risk’, warns top expert
Millions of women in England could soon be offered breast cancer checks in their 30s on the NHS.
Currently, all women aged between 50 and 70 are invited for screening every three years, with the first invitation between the age of 50 and 53.
But every year, more than 10,000 British women who are too young to be offered a check are diagnosed with the disease, with 2,000 deaths among those below the age of 50.
Now, a groundbreaking new trial has found almost one in five women tested in their thirties have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Dr Sacha Howell, a consultant at the world-renowned Christie hospital in Manchester who led the study, said all women should now undergo a ‘comprehensive risk assessment’ from the age of 30.
He was also Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding’s consultant when she was being treated at the Christie.
She was 39 when she died from triple negative breast cancer in 2021, a little over a year after being diagnosed.
One of her final wishes was to find new ways of spotting breast cancer early, when it is more treatable.
Currently, all women aged between 50 and 70 are invited for screening every three years, with the first invitation between the age of 50 and 53
Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding was 39 when she died from the disease in 2021, a little over a year after being diagnosed
Ms Harding’s former bandmates said the findings were ‘astounding’ and that the singer, who died in 2021, would have been ‘thrilled’ that her legacy was making such a difference.
The study, funded by the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, began in May 2023 and has recruited 719 women from the Greater Manchester and Cheshire area aged 30 to 39.
Women who take part are asked to complete a questionnaire, have a risk assessment mammogram and provide a saliva sample for genetic testing.
So far, of the 548 cases analysed, 104 (19 per cent) were identified as higher-than-average risk.
All are now being offered tailored health advice, including how to cut their risk of cancer through diet and exercise, with annual mammograms scheduled once they cross risk thresholds.
The definition of ‘higher risk’ means a 3 per cent chance of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years.
This is the average risk for a woman aged 50 and over, which is why mammograms are offered routinely then.
The trial is also being expanded to other hospitals across the UK as senior NHS officials develop a national cancer plan, which will aim to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Checking your breasts should be part of your monthly routine so you notice any unusual changes. Simply rub and feel from top to bottom, in semi-circles and in a circular motion around your breast tissue to identify any abnormalities
Dr Howell said: ‘About two thirds of women who develop breast cancer don’t have a family history of it.
‘What we want to do is to try and identify women at increased risk so that we can start screening early and reduce the chances of these women dying.
‘I would like all women over 30 to have a breast-cancer risk assessment; that doesn’t have to be a mammogram, probably the most powerful part of this is the DNA analysis.’
On Saturday, he will chair a panel on prevention, risk reduction and genetics at the world’s largest cancer conference, held by the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
In a statement, Girls Aloud—Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh—also said: ‘To hear that women who had no idea they could be at risk of breast cancer are being identified and able to take preventative measures is astounding.
‘This study in Sarah’s name has the potential to be lifesaving and we are hopeful the results will be rolled out across the UK allowing doctors to predict and prevent breast cancer for many women.
‘Sarah was an amazing woman and we couldn’t be more proud of the legacy she has left.’
One in seven women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime around 56,000 a year—making it the most common cancer in the UK.
Symptoms of breast cancer to look out for include lumps and swellings, dimpling of the skin, changes in colour, discharge and a rash or crusting around the nipple
The figure stands at roughly 300,000 annually in the US. Around 85 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive more than five years.
Earlier this year, however, a shock NHS survey found women are avoiding mammograms because they are worried about being topless, think it will hurt, or haven’t found a lump.
The poll of 2,000 women found 16 per cent claimed they would not or were not sure they would attend a breast screening if invited.
When asked why, 21 per cent said they would be embarrassed to be topless in front of someone else.
Almost one in five also said they would not get a mammogram because they don’t have potential breast cancer symptoms, like having found a lump.
Figures show that currently a third of women asked for screening do not attend. That rises to almost half of women who are invited for the first time.
