Breast cancer checks missing most women under 50 who are at risk, says study

• Current NHS breast screening programmes fail to identify approximately 95% of women under 50 at higher genetic or familial risk of breast cancer, leaving vulnerable patients without targeted surveillance.
• Younger high-risk women are not captured by routine screening, which typically targets ages 50–74, creating a significant gap in early detection for those who would benefit most from proactive monitoring.
• Clinicians should consider opportunistic risk assessment and genetic testing in younger women with relevant family history or genetic predisposition, as standard NHS pathways are inadequate for this cohort.

Up to 95% of younger women who are at higher risk of developing breast cancer are being missed by current NHS checks, researchers warn.

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