Early Day Motion 2748

World Cancer Day and breast cancer

Tabled 4 February 2026 by Wera Hobhouse

That this House marks World Cancer Day by recognising the urgent need to improve the early detection of breast cancer in younger women; notes with concern that breast cancer accounts for 43 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in women aged 25 to 49 years; further notes that breast cancer in younger women is often more aggressive and more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, leading to poorer outcomes; pays tribute to campaigners and patients, including those whose symptoms were dismissed or misdiagnosed due to age; commends healthcare professionals providing high-quality care; and calls on the Government to urgently review the current breast cancer screening programme, including the merits of moving towards a more personalised, risk-based approach to screening, lowering the routine screening age for higher-risk groups, improving access to supplementary screening methods, ensuring faster referral pathways for symptomatic women, and addressing inequalities in outcomes so that all women, regardless of age or background, have the best possible chance of early diagnosis and survival.

Signatories (41)