A new study suggests current NHS breast cancer checks are failing to identify many women under 50 who have a higher chance of developing the disease. Researchers warn that as many as 95% of younger women at elevated risk may not be picked up by existing approaches.

The findings add to concerns about how breast cancer risk is assessed before the age group most commonly covered by routine screening. While checks and referrals can help detect problems earlier, the study indicates that many younger women who may need closer monitoring are still being overlooked.

Cancer Research UK, which funded the work, said any changes to the system would need to be both accessible and equitable. That reflects a wider challenge for the NHS: improving risk detection without creating unnecessary barriers, confusion or unequal access for different groups of women.

Researchers also pointed to the need to consider the anxiety that extra referrals could cause. The study is likely to feed into the debate over whether breast cancer risk assessment should be expanded or updated so that more higher-risk women under 50 can be identified sooner.