A Wellington woman with a strong family history of breast cancer says she was forced to travel overseas for screening after struggling to access testing in New Zealand, raising fresh concerns about gaps in the country’s screening system.
According to a report by Sophie Trigger of 1News, currently, the national breast screening programme targets women aged 45 to 69, with a gradual extension planned to include those up to 74. However, Health New Zealand maintains that mammograms are not generally recommended for women under 40, unless they fall into a high-risk category.
Katy, who chose to be identified only by her first name, said she found it difficult to access screening despite having multiple risk factors, including a family history of breast cancer, Sophie Trigger of 1News has reported.
The 36-year-old turned to early screening after using an online assessment tool that estimated her lifetime risk at up to 40%.
Although she was prepared to pay privately, Katy said she was unable to secure a mammogram in New Zealand.
"I did feel a bit frustrated because I really wanted to be proactive and do everything I could to make sure I was catching something early," as quoted by 1News.
Unable to access services locally, Katy travelled overseas, where she underwent both a mammogram and an ultrasound. The tests revealed abnormalities, allowing her to pursue further investigations and ultimately receive a formal diagnosis back in New Zealand, as reported by 1News.
Government Orders Review
Health Minister Simeon Brown described the case as troubling and confirmed a review of the current screening criteria is underway.
"The question here is whether these criteria are clear enough, and I think the reality is that needs to be reviewed," he said, 1News has quoted.
Brown has asked officials to assess whether the existing system adequately identifies high-risk patients.
“Are they actually picking up those patients, those women who are at high risk of risk cancer adequately?”, as quoted by 1News.
He expects to receive recommendations within the coming months.
Concerns Over “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach
Experts say Katy’s experience reflects a broader issue within the screening programme.
Breast Cancer Foundation chief executive Ah-Leen Rayner noted that women under 45 are not effectively covered under current guidelines, despite significant numbers being diagnosed each year.
"There are 400 diagnoses per year for this age group alone," she said.
“And what that means is that these women are often diagnosed later with advanced-stage disease, and it's often harder to treat,” as quoted by 1News.
Rayner added that while a high-risk pathway exists, it is not always applied consistently.
"To go through the measures that Katy went through to get a mammogram and to subsequently be diagnosed with breast cancer is just astonishing, which means there's more need in terms of risk-based screening in New Zealand," 1News has quoted.
International experts also question the current age-based system. Manchester Breast Centre director Dr Sacha Howell said relying on a fixed starting age does not reflect modern risk assessment tools.
He explained that some high-risk women could benefit from earlier screening, while those at very low risk might not need to begin as early.
"And if you look at the other end of the spectrum, we can identify women at a very low risk of breast cancer," Howell said. “And so those women, if we were doing truly risk-adapted screening, would potentially even start later than they currently do in New Zealand," as reported by 1News.
Call for Vigilance
Health New Zealand is urging women with a family history of breast cancer, including those under 40, to remain alert and consult their GP if they have concerns.
Katy’s case has added urgency to calls for a more flexible, risk-based screening system, as officials consider whether current guidelines are fit for purpose.
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