Professor Fidelma Flanagan:

The Senator has raised fundamental and important points. Many women think they do not get breast cancer before 50 because that is when the screening programme starts, and that is an important point. We are improving on that but just because the screening programme starts at 50 does not mean that people do not get breast cancer under 50. The message to people under 50 is that they can get breast cancer.

People need to understand what is normal so they can pick up what is abnormal, and that is what breast awareness is about. We should use any platform we can to empower women to understand, to be breast healthy and to know what is normal, without creating too much anxiety around it. Even recently, with film stars or singers dying, there has been a huge worry out there and many people are very worried about their risk of breast cancer. It is our job and society's job to put that into context and to be able to support women who are concerned. It is also that they can attend their GP and their nurse practitioner and get the proper advice, and to be able to be supported along that journey. Then, if there is a concern on the part of the GP, our job, working in the hospitals and these symptomatic services, is to be ready and available to support them and to provide access to women who have a symptom and who are concerned, and to provide whatever is seen internationally as the best way forward.

For women in their 30s with a high family risk of breast cancer, for example, a breast MRI is proven to be the best imaging technique to use if they have a genetic predisposition. That can all be sorted out once people address their concern and go to their doctor. If there is any concern about that, they go forward. Our job is to provide ready access and, after that, we can further advise and direct either an MRI or a breast ultrasound. Generally, we do not offer mammography as part of our tools to women under the age of 35. We generally use ultrasound and, for people who have a strong predilection to breast cancer, we would offer MRIs scans. Clinical examination is also very important. I do not know if that answers the question.