Breast Cancer: Screening

The NHS Breast Screening Programme offers all women in England between the ages of 50 and 71 years old the opportunity to be screened every three years for breast cancer, to help detect abnormalities and intervene early to reduce the number of lives lost to invasive breast cancer.

Women are not automatically invited for breast screening if they are 71 years old or over because there is a lack of evidence around the balance of benefit versus harm of screening women above this age. Women aged 71 years old or over can still have breast screening every three years if they want to, by calling their local breast screening service to ask for an appointment. This information is provided in the screening information for women, and NHS England has also produced a suite of public facing information resources communicating that women aged 71 years old or over have the right to free screening every three years if they ask.