Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of using breast density measurement software to identify women with dense breast tissue, in order to prioritise those women for breast cancer screening.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is aware that breast density is related to risk although further evidence is required before it may be used confidently to stratify women. Significant new evidence will be reviewed when available. In 2019, the UK NSC reviewed density, where it recommended that additional screening with ultrasound after a negative mammography screening in women with dense breasts should not be introduced. Based on the evidence, breast density measurements are not yet robust enough and there is no ‘gold standard’ to validate breast density measurements.