UK diagnostic imaging platform expands access to mammograms for women from the age of 40

The UK diagnostic imaging platform Scan.com is extending its services to offer mammograms for women aged 40 and above, ten years earlier than the NHS screening programme.

Breast cancer, which is more common in women over 50, is generally more aggressive and less likely to respond to treatment in younger women.

The disease is one of the leading causes of death in women under 50 in the UK, according to the charity Breast Cancer Now, with the incidence rate of invasive breast cancer increasing in recent years.

Currently, the NHS breast screening programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 registered with a GP for screening every three years.

Scan.com aims to address a critical gap in proactive breast cancer screening recommendations by offering screening options for patients who currently fall outside of the NHS screening programme.

“By offering annual mammograms from age 40, we aim to empower women with proactive choices in their healthcare, potentially contributing to better health outcomes,” says Dr Lizzie Tuckey, managing director of Scan.com.

“We want to follow the science, and make early detection more accessible to as many women as we can.”

While the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recently advocated for biennial mammograms starting at age 40, the UK has not announced any plans to follow suit.

This discrepancy in screening guidelines underscores a missed opportunity for early detection, Tuckey points out, as the USPSTF estimates that 19 per cent more lives could be saved through initiating screening mammograms from age 40, with one year of life gained for every 20 women in their 40s who undergo annual screening.

Scan.com says it encourages a proactive approach to women’s health and breast cancer prevention and aims to empower women with early detection options where possible.

The platform, the UK’s largest diagnostic imaging provider, offers self-book medical imaging, including MRI, CT, ultrasound and mammograms, without a GP letter.