Breast cancer screening: we need to assess a woman’s risk – not just her age

(Carolyn Nickson, Bruce Mann/ The Conversation) — Australia’s BreastScreen program offers women regular mammograms (breast X-rays) based on their age. And this screening for breast cancer saves lives.

But much has changed since the program was introduced in the early 90s. Technology has developed, as has our knowledge of which groups of women might be at higher risk of breast cancer. So how we screen women for breast cancer needs to adapt.

In a recent paper, we’ve proposed a fundamental shift away from an age-based approach to a screening program that takes into account women’s risk of breast cancer.

We argue we could save more lives if screening tests and schedules were personalised based on someone’s risk.

We don’t yet know exactly how this might work in practice. We need to consult with all parties involved, including health professionals, government and women, and we need to begin Australian trials.

But here’s why we need to rethink how we screen for breast cancer in Australia. (…)