We are calling on the UK Government and NHS to introduce a nationally consistent, risk-based approach to breast cancer screening for women aged 30–49.

Routine NHS breast screening is primarily based on age, with women generally invited from age 50. But breast cancer can affect younger women, and some women in their 30s and 40s have a significantly higher risk because of their family history, genetics and other recognised risk factors.

Age alone should not determine when a woman can access appropriate breast cancer surveillance.

We are asking the Government and NHS to:

Offer women aged 30–49 access to validated breast cancer risk assessment.
Identify women whose individual risk is significantly higher than average.
Offer appropriate earlier and/or enhanced screening to women identified as being at increased risk, including mammography, MRI or other clinically appropriate surveillance.
Develop consistent national criteria, so access does not depend on where a woman lives or which NHS service she happens to use.
Continue research into better ways of identifying younger women at increased risk, including women who may not have an obvious family history.
This is not a call for every woman to have a mammogram from age 30.

It is a call for a smarter, more personalised approach:

**Assess the risk.
Identify those at higher risk.
Screen them appropriately.
Give women the best chance of detecting breast cancer early.**
The NHS already provides enhanced surveillance for some women at high and very high risk. We believe this principle should be developed into a more consistent, accessible and evidence-based risk-assessment pathway for women aged 30–49.

Please sign and support this petition for risk-based breast cancer screening in younger women.