§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy towards the availability of mammograms for persons aged 50 years and over within the national health service; and if he will make a statement. [12558]
§ Mr. HoramThe national health service breast screening programme invites women aged 50 to 64 years for breast screening by mammography once every three years. Women aged 65 and over may continue to be screened every three years on request. In 1994–95—the latest available figures—more than I million women in England aged 50 and over were screened by the programme with over 5,000 cases of cancer detected.
We have no plans to extend the programme to include men, in whom there are a very small number of cases of breast cancer—under 200 per year.
Symptomatic women of any age can request a mammogram at any time, in discussion with their general practitioner.