The Portuguese League Against Cancer supports the government’s decision to increase the age range to those aged 45 to 69.

The Portuguese League Against Cancer (LPCC) has welcomed the government’s decision to expand the age range for breast cancer screening to 45-69, in line with the latest European recommendations. Up until now, the age demographic covered by the national breast cancer screening program was from 50 to 69 years old.

The President of the LPCC, Vitor Veloso, says he is delighted with this step forward in the fight against cancer. “We are pleased that Portugal prioritises prevention and early detection, aligning its policies with the best European practices.”

In 2022, the Council of the European Union recommended that Member States expand the age group covered by population-based breast cancer screening to include the 45-49 and 70-74 age groups.

Vitor Veloso adds, “It is clear that the inclusion of these age groups strengthens public health. The expansion will allow for a greater number of early diagnoses and, consequently, less invasive and more effective treatments, contributing to a significant reduction in the incidence of invasive cancers and specific mortality due to breast cancer.”

The most recent data on breast cancer in Portugal, published by the World Health Organization’s Global Cancer Observatory for 2022, estimates that around 9,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 2,000 died from the disease.

With a cure rate of over 90% when diagnosed and treated early, breast cancer, although more common in women, also affects men (1 in every 100 breast cancers).