Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 July 2018
241. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health his views on public concern about the thoroughness of the BreastCheck screening programme; the action which is taken in cases in which a mammogram indicates increasing breast density; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29880/18]
View answerBreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, operates in line with screening protocols which are underpinned by National Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Mammography Screening and further supported by European policy guidelines. These protocols aim to ensure that all women eligible for the programme receive the highest quality mammography screening based on international evidence.
BreastCheck has been accredited three times by international experts. At its most recent inspection, the accreditation agency EUREF (European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services) awarded the programme reference status for the period until 2020, indicating that the policy and practices in place were an example to other national programmes to follow.
Digital mammography was introduced by BreastCheck in 2007 following a successful pilot programme which demonstrated significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy, particularly for women with denser breast tissue, when compared to analogue or screen-film mammography.
The digital format has resulted in enhancement of image quality, particularly associated with improved visualisation of dense breast tissue. Digital mammography also results in significant reductions in radiation dose associated with screening examinations, and allows images to be acquired and viewed in a shorter time. At present, digital mammography platforms do not provide a quantifiable breast density measurement.
BreastCheck has always emphasised that a woman developing any symptom after a normal mammogram should contact their GP.
