Experts warn older women less aware of the symptoms of breast cancer so may wait longer before seeking treatment One in three breast cancer patients is aged 70 or over, figures show — yet women in that age group are not routinely screened for the disease.
About 13,500 women aged 70 and over are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, Public Health England (PHE) data show.
Survival rates in the age group are lower than among younger women, with about 5,400 of the women dying from the disease each year, more than half of all breast cancer deaths.
The survival rate for older breast cancer patients in Britain is much lower than in countries such as Sweden, suggesting that thousands of the deaths could be prevented.
The NHS in England invites women aged between 50 and 70 for breast screening every three years, while older women can ask for an inspection. The routine screening programme is being extended to the age of 73 by 2016.