The national cancer screening programme BreastCheck fell short of its mammogram targets by 46,000 last year, according to confirmation from the HSE to RTÉ’s News at One.
More than 173,000 women underwent screening in 2025, marking the highest annual figure since BreastCheck launched its nationwide programme 25 years ago, reports RTE.
Despite this record number, screenings did not meet the programme’s goal of 219,000 women last year. This marks the third consecutive year the service has failed to achieve its screening targets.
In 2024, the mammogram target was set at 195,000 women and others, yet only 137,134 screenings were carried out. In 2023, the aim was to screen 185,000 individuals, but the actual number reached 166,532, reports RTE.
BreastCheck currently invites women aged between 50 and 69 to attend free routine mammograms every two years. The programme focuses on screening women without symptoms in order to detect and treat breast cancer at the earliest stage possible.
Approximately 3,500 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Ireland each year, reports RTE.
40% of first-time appointments missed
The HSE reports that over 40% of women invited to attend BreastCheck do not show up for their first screening appointment, while more than 30% miss their follow-up appointments.
Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One, Director of Clinical Affairs at the Irish Cancer Society Amy Nolan encouraged women who receive invitations for mammograms to either attend or rearrange their appointments, reports RTE.
“If they don’t attend their first screening, it’s unlikely that they will attend subsequent screenings. So really the message is that while the target is there, it is being missed,” she said.
“If women are not attending their screening appointment they really need to get in touch with BreastCheck and allow that appointment to be given to somebody else, reports RTE.
Ms Nolan suggested that fear of potential results may be one of the reasons discouraging people from attending screenings.
“People may fear that they will identify a cancer but what we say in the Irish Cancer Society is if you are diagnosed with a breast cancer at stage one, the chances of survival are 99%,” she said.
“If you are leaving that screening opportunity, you may be diagnosed in a symptomatic clinic at perhaps stage three or stage four of a breast cancer diagnosis, which means it has now moved outside of the breast and into other areas and potentially other organs.
“And it means you need further treatment modalities like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, as well as surgery, reports RTE.
HSE predicts higher future demand for BreastCheck service
The shortfall in screening targets comes as the HSE anticipates a significant rise in demand for BreastCheck services due to population growth.
In 2019, around 500,000 women were eligible for breast screening, and this number is projected to increase to 700,000 by 2029, reports RTE.
According to the HSE, meeting this rising demand will require a comprehensive overhaul of structures and systems to support a 40% increase in activity.
A long-term strategy is currently being implemented, involving infrastructure improvements, additional staffing, and the introduction of new technology, reports RTE.
Following the release of these figures, the Irish Cancer Society has renewed its call to lower the BreastCheck screening age from 50 to 45 to enhance early detection among younger women.
However, Ms Nolan stressed that more immediate planning is necessary to make this change achievable.
“We need to consider the resources that are required if we are going to screen more of the population if the age range is reduced … HIQA are undergoing a review to see if that is possible but really the resources need to be put in place now to undertake that for the future, reports RTE.
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