New Service Launch: Scan.com Expands Access to Mammograms for UK Women From the Age of 40

We're proud to announce the launch of private mammogram screening scans on our website, available annually starting from age 40. To coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we aim to address a critical gap in proactive breast cancer screening recommendations in the UK. This is ten years earlier than the NHS screening programme, which is offered every three years starting from age 50-53. 

• Our platform provides self-book medical imaging such as MRI, CT, ultrasound and now mammograms, without needing a GP referral. 

• By offering annual mammograms for women aged 40 and above in the UK, ten years before it is currently available on the NHS, we can bridge a critical healthcare gap.

• Whilst biennial early mammograms from age 40 have been recently been recommended by the United States (USPSTF) to prevent avoidable breast cancer deaths, the UK has not announced any plans to follow suit. 

• As we enter Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Scan.com encourages a proactive approach to women’s health and breast cancer prevention, and aims to empower women with early detection options where possible. 

While the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recently advocated for biennial mammograms starting at age 40, the UK currently begins NHS mammogram screenings at age 50. This discrepancy in screening guidelines underscores a missed opportunity for early detection, as the USPSTF estimates that 19% 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.

Our aim is to offer fast and accessible screening options for women who currently fall outside of the NHS screening programme. Breast cancer, which is more common in women over 50, is generally more aggressive in younger women, which is why early detection is beneficial.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women under 50 in the UK (Breast Cancer Now, 2023) with the incidence rate of invasive breast cancer increasing in recent years, making fast and accessible screening programmes even more important. With the addition of fast and accessible screening options for women who currently fall outside of the NHS screening programmme on our website, we can help save more lives. Between 2015 and 2019, the incidence rate of invasive breast cancer increased by 2% annually among women aged 40 to 49, surpassing previous years' statistics.

Dr Lizzie Tuckey, Managing Director of Scan.com, said:

“By offering annual mammograms from age 40, we aim to empower women with proactive choices in their healthcare, potentially contributing to better health outcomes. We want to follow the science, and make early detection more accessible to as many women as we can.”

Next steps

Book your private mammogram breast cancer screening scan on our website today.

Sources Used:

USPSTF recommendations: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/breast-cancer-screening-adults