Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to pilot proactive breast cancer risk assessment.

The National Cancer Plan commits to more proactive identification of cancer risk, including through genomic testing and improved case-finding. Eligible patients diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer will receive testing for relevant genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, helping the National Health Service to identify people who may benefit from targeted surveillance and other risk-management measures.

The NHS National Inherited Cancer Predisposition Register will also support targeted prevention, surveillance and earlier diagnosis. Women at very high risk of breast cancer can access the NHS Breast Screening Programme’s very high-risk surveillance pathway.