36. MRI Breast Screening - Surveillance for BRCA

Following my recent discovery of the lack of funding and availability for MRI breast screening for women with a high risk breast cancer, I decided to start investigating MRI breast screening..so I wrote to the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson.

"Dear Alan Johnson

I am 35 and have a family history of breast cancer and subsequently diagnosed with the breast and ovarian cancer gene BRCA1. In March I will undergo surgery to remove my healthy breast tissue in order to reduce my risk of cancer from 85% to 1%. This is a huge decision and will effect the rest of my life but it the only one I feel is sensible given the alternative.

The alternative is Mammography - proven to be very ineffective for women under 50 and with the gene mutation I carry, could trigger the very cancer it looks for! I recently spoke to the NHS Breast Screening Programme who stated that an MRI breast screening pilot scheme is being rolled out across the UK this year (2009) to women with a high risk of breast cancer but that it is only available for women over the age of 40.

My Aunt died at 27, my cousin had a double mastectomy at 33 and I am 35. It is known that BRCA1/BRCA2 gene increases the chance of cancer at a much younger age - generally under 50.

I would like clarification on this pilot scheme and hope that I have been misinformed on the age limit. The Government's strategy is to increase cancer detection services and the many BRCA+ women I am in contact with feel they are faced with little choice other than to remove their healthy breasts because there is no MRI funding for them to undergo surveillance instead. This is just one facet of the gene mutation - another is the lack of ovarian cancer screening and whether to have children or not, or HOW to have children.

I would appreciate clear response on this matter.

In Canada it is standard practice for MRI screening surveillance and MRI screening before breast surgery to ensure effective surgery is planned.

Will I have to continue to undergo Mammography x-ray and take the trigger risk and the ineffective results?

We need change - we account for 5% of breast cancer patients and therefore it is a small funding factor. It would make the very difficult decision to remove your breasts less of an option if reliable annual MRI screening was available to women diagnosed BRCA+ from the age of 25.

To summarise:

Q. Is the MRI breast screening pilot scheme for high risk women available to ALL BRCA+ women or just those over the age of 40?

Q. If not, WHEN will it be available to ALL BRCA+ women from 25?"

I will keep this subject posted when I receive a reply. I may need to campaign on this matter - even though it is too late for me to choose MRI surveillance, with my surgery booked for March and currently it is not offered by the NHS.

Watch this space!!!

PS - Further information I discovered - The Government have plans to implement the changes made to the NICE Familial Breast Cancer document (see link below) updated October 2006 "3.26 Currently the surveillance of all women identified as being at high risk is managed at a local level to varying protocols. The NHSBSP offers the opportunity to manage such surveillance to national standards, ensuring women receive a consistent and high quality service. The NHSBSP will take on this surveillance, which CHAPTER 3: DIAGNOSING CANCER EARLIER 47 will include access to MRI scanning as stated in the NICE partial update of the Familial Breast Cancer Guideline (October 2006). It is expected that this new system will be in place from 2009."

Click here for for information about breast screening women under 50 (PDF)

Click here for NICE Familial Breast Cancer - screening information

Click here for Department of Health Cancer Reform Strategy (exerpted above) stating the MRI screening plans