§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why women over 65 are not routinely invited for screening for breast cancer in view of evidence that risk increases at that age. [HL955]
§ Baroness HaymanThe National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) is based on the recommendations of the 1987 Forrest Report. At the time of its publication, the best evidence available suggested that a high proportion of women aged over 65 would not accept routine invitations to screening. That is why current policy does not include them in the routine cal/recall programme. However, any woman over 65 can ask to be screened every three years in the same way as women aged 50–64. The benefits and availability of screening for older women are well publicised and the number of women over the age of 64 requesting screening in the United Kingdom has risen from 39,000 in 1994–95 to nearly 67,000 in 1996–97.
The department is funding three pilot studies, due to end in April 2000, to look at the feasibility of extending the screening programme to routinely include older women. The National Screening Committee have recommended that any decision on extensions to the NHSBSP should await the final results from all three studies.