Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider lowering the age of women to be included in the national breast screening programme. [9024/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The BreastCheck Programme provides free mammograms to all women aged 50-64. The Programme for Government includes the extension of Breastcheck to women in the 65-69 age group, in keeping with EU Guidelines on effective screening for breast cancer.

The main priority for the HSE's National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) at present is to maximise national uptake in the 50-64 year age cohort. In the meantime women of any age who have concerns about breast cancer should seek the advice of their GP who will, if appropriate, refer them to the symptomatic breast services in one of the eight designated specialist cancer centres.

The NCSS continually reviews and assesses new and emerging evidence in screening benefits, including the optimum age range for screening. In 2009 it commissioned a review of the evidence for reducing the lower screening age limit from 50 to 47 years. The review found that the effectiveness of screening below age 50 remains an issue of debate. Several randomised controlled trials in screening have included younger age groups but have not confirmed significant reduction in mortality in the 40-49 age group. The review concluded that while a reduction in screening age might be of some benefit to some younger women, the merits of extending the programme age range downwards from a population-based screening perspective are a matter of debate. The review did not change the overall position that while the case for extending the age downwards is now stronger than it used to be, the case for extending the programme to older women was still stronger. Extending the age range to 69 must therefore be the priority for the NCSS.