Spain is significantly expanding its national breast cancer screening programme, opening up preventive care to millions more women in the future. Following a decision by the Spanish health authorities, women between the ages of 45 and 74 will now regularly receive free mammograms through the public healthcare system. Until now, the state screening programme had mainly been aimed at women aged between 50 and 69.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
With the new reform, both younger and older age groups will now be included. According to official estimates, more than three million additional women will gain access to regular preventive screenings as a result. The measure is regarded as one of the most significant reforms in Spanish healthcare in the field of cancer prevention in recent decades.
Health Authorities Respond to New Scientific Findings
The decision was taken by the Spanish Public Health Commission, in which both the Ministry of Health and the autonomous regions are represented. The reform is based on new medical findings regarding the increasing number of breast cancer cases among younger women.
According to the health authorities, around ten per cent of all breast cancer diagnoses in Spain are now being detected in women under the age of 50. Experts are also observing a significant global increase in breast cancer cases among younger patients.
International studies show that the number of cases among women aged between 20 and 54 has increased significantly over recent decades. Spanish authorities therefore hope to detect tumours earlier in future and improve patients’ chances of recovery.
Mammograms in Future for Women Aged Between 45 and 74
In future, women aged between 45 and 74 will receive a free mammogram every two years. Spain is therefore extending the previous age limits both downwards and upwards.
Previous programmes focused primarily on women aged between 50 and 69, as the risk of breast cancer is particularly high within this age group. However, new data suggests that younger women are also being affected more frequently than previously assumed.
At the same time, rising life expectancy in Spain is also playing an important role. Increasing numbers of women remain healthy and active later in life, making preventive screenings beyond the age of 70 increasingly important.
Several Regions Are Already Testing the Expansion
Several autonomous regions had already tested or introduced the new age groups before the nationwide reform. These include Navarra, Castile and León, La Rioja, and Castile-La Mancha, where women are in some cases already being invited for mammograms from the age of 45.
Galicia, meanwhile, is already carrying out screenings for women up to the age of 74. According to the health authorities, the results so far have been positive.
Particularly noteworthy is that in some regions, higher detection rates were recorded among women aged between 70 and 74 than among younger senior women. Tumours were also detected in women in their late forties at a similar rate to patients in their early fifties.
Implementation to Be Introduced Gradually
However, the reform will not be implemented across the entire country immediately. Spain is planning a gradual rollout over several years. The autonomous regions will initially be given up to three years to adapt their healthcare systems accordingly.
Within six years, the new screening programme is expected to be almost fully implemented.
According to current estimates by the Ministry of Health, the cost of expanding the programme could amount to around €534 million by 2029. However, as some regions have already introduced the new age groups, the actual costs may ultimately be lower.
Experts Welcome Reform – But Also Warn of Risks
Many oncologists and health experts view the expansion of the screening programme positively overall. Breast cancer detected at an early stage can in many cases be treated far more successfully, significantly improving survival rates.
At the same time, specialists point out that broader screening programmes can also bring disadvantages. These include false-positive results, unnecessary biopsies, and so-called overdiagnosis, in which tumours are detected that may never have caused any health problems.
Experts also stress that the psychological impact caused by false alarms should not be underestimated.
Nevertheless, experts emphasise that modern diagnostic methods are now far more precise than they were just a few years ago. The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology therefore strongly supports the reform and regards it as an important step towards improving cancer prevention in Spain.
Breast Cancer Remains the Most Common Form of Cancer Among Women
Breast cancer remains one of the most common forms of cancer among women worldwide. In Spain alone, tens of thousands of new cases are diagnosed every year.
Health authorities now hope that the expanded screening programme will help reduce mortality rates in the long term and significantly improve treatment outcomes. At the same time, the reform is intended to further strengthen public awareness of the importance of regular preventive screenings.
