Your recent article "X-ray cancer danger" (The Argus, June 27) referenced a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on the effects of X-rays on women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Contrary to your article, the findings relate to chest X-rays, not mammograms routinely offered to women by the NHS Breast Screening Programme.
I would like to reassure women that the dose of radiation involved in mammography screening is very low - about the same you would receive in an aeroplane flying from the UK to Australia and back.
The benefits of early detection of breast cancer far outweigh the risks and I strongly encourage all women to take up their invitation for routine screening when invited.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme is highly effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer and saves 1,400 lives every year.
Further information on the NHS Cancer Screening Programme can be found at www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk.
-Sarah Cush, assistant director, NHS Breast Screening Programmes
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