Two of my cousins were diagnosed with breast cancer in their 30s. One, who was tragically too young to access routine mammograms, passed away. The other is a survivor. The painful reality is that early detection through mammograms could have potentially saved my cousin's life. I have also been diagnosed with breast cancer following a routine mammogram. If it wasn’t for my age I would also have not been entitled to a routine mammogram. These personal experiences underline the urgent need for change in our healthcare policies.

Breast cancer is not just a disease affecting older women. Statistics from Breast Cancer Now reveal that around 2,300 women under 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK. This highlights a significant gap in our current healthcare system which provides routine mammograms only to women over the age of 50. Enabling women aged 30 and over to access annual mammograms will facilitate early detection, leading to more successful treatment outcomes and ultimately saving lives.

Furthermore, the economic rationale for this shift is compelling. Early detection of breast cancer reduces the need for extensive medical treatments, surgeries, and hospital stays, thereby saving the NHS significant costs in the long term. The cost of offering yearly mammograms to women starting at age 30 is an investment in health that could reduce the financial burdens of advanced cancer treatments.

We call upon NHS policymakers to recognise the importance of lowering the age for routine mammograms to 30 and the frequency to annually rather than every 3 years.  By doing so, we can save lives and more effectively allocate healthcare resources. The evidence is clear: early detection through annual mammograms for women aged 30 and above is a crucial, life-saving measure that addresses both health and economic imperatives.

Please sign this petition if you believe in the importance of expanding access to mammograms for younger women to ensure early detection and better management of breast cancer. Together, we can champion a change that has the potential to save countless lives.