Cavan woman calls for breast screening age to be lowered
A 28-year-old woman from County Cavan is advocating for the lowering of the breast screening age in Ireland from 50 to younger brackets. She shares her personal experience of being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at 27 to highlight the need for earlier detection.
Why it matters
Addresses a public health policy debate regarding the efficacy and age-appropriateness of national cancer screening programs.
Advocacy groups and health campaigns have increasingly called for the lowering of the routine breast screening age from 50 to younger brackets.
In Ireland the national BreastCheck program currently invites women aged 50 to 69 for a free mammogram every two years.
With a concerning rise in breast cancer diagnoses among younger women aged 20-49, Co Cavan woman Alanna Kells is calling for the screening age to be reduced in a bid to "save more lives."
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