Spain Expands Free Breast Cancer Screening to Women Aged 45–74

Spain's Ministry of Health has expanded the breast cancer screening programme. Where previously routine mammograms every two years were offered to women aged 50 to 69, the scheme will now cover the age range from 45 to 74.

Autonomous communities have been given three years to implement the changes. Total programme funding through to 2029 amounts to €534 million.

The decision was taken by the Public Health Commission, which cited recommendations from the Network of Health Technology Assessment Agencies (RedETS) and the Council of the European Union, as well as data showing that around 10% of breast cancer cases in Spain are diagnosed in women under the age of 50.

Specialists broadly support the expansion, though they acknowledge that robust evidence of reduced mortality in the new age groups is still limited. Oncologist Elías López Jiménez from the Spanish Association Against Cancer described the question as "complex" in a comment to El País, stressing that the success of the programme depends on ensuring the necessary human and technical resources are in place.

Positive results have already been recorded in several regions. Castilla y León, Navarre, La Rioja, and Castilla-La Mancha have long included women from the age of 45 in their screening programmes. Galicia extended screening to the 70–74 age group in September 2023. By mid-2025, 82% of eligible women had taken part in the programme.

Detection rates have risen significantly. While in younger age groups around 4.7 cancers per 1,000 women screened are detected, in the 70–74 age group, the figure reaches nearly 8 per 1,000. "This confirms that a significant number of women may benefit from early diagnosis," says Gómez Amorín, head of the early disease detection service at the Galician Ministry of Health.

Participation in the breast cancer screening programme in Spain is free and requires no self-referral. Women receive an SMS or a postal invitation at their home address with the date, time, and location of their mammogram. If you fall within the eligible age range but have not received a notification, you can contact your GP, who will issue a referral. The screening programme covers all women of the relevant age living in Spain. The main requirement is a valid health insurance card.