Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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343. To ask the Minister for Health if early detection breast cancer screening protocols are available for women with breast density; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29568/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, operates in line with screening protocols which are underpinned by National Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Mammography Screening and further supported by European policy guidelines. These protocols ensure that all women eligible for the programme receive the highest quality mammography screening based on international evidence.

At present, digital mammography platforms do not provide a quantifiable breast density measurement. BreastCheck has always emphasised that any screening mammogram cannot detect all cancers and, therefore, a woman developing any symptom after a normal mammogram should contact their GP.

Digital mammography was introduced by BreastCheck in 2007 following a successful pilot programme which demonstrated significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy, particularly for women with denser breast tissue, when compared to analogue or screen-film mammography.

The digital format has resulted in enhancement of image quality, particularly associated with improved visualisation of dense breast tissue. Digital mammography also results in significant reductions in radiation dose associated with screening examinations, and allows images to be acquired and viewed in a shorter time.