SINGAPORE – As breast cancer becomes more common among younger women, two new initiatives hope to help them get screened early.
More than 2,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. One in six is younger than 45 years old, while about one in 10 is below age 40.
The Singapore Cancer Society is now offering free mammograms to eligible women aged 40 and up at its SCS Clinic @ Bishan. They must hold Chas orange or blue cards and can register at str.sg/CsuV
Previously, women had to be aged 50 and up to register.
The social service agency’s initiative in September brings it in line with updated breast cancer screening recommendations by the Screening Test Review Committee earlier in 2026.
The Ministry of Health-appointed committee now recommends annual screening for women aged 40 to 49 with normal risk and no symptoms, and every other year for those between 50 and 74.
Separately, insurer Manulife Singapore, the Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) and Parkway Radiology have come together in a three-year partnership to offer free teleconsultations and mammogram screenings in the MammoXpress Mammography Bus.
Women aged 40 and up can book at str.sg/ocgS5 and the list of MammoXpress roadshows will be regularly updated at str.sg/NPr2
Mammograms are generally not recommended to women below 40 as their breast tissue tends to be denser, making the images difficult to interpret. They can book a free teleconsultation with a doctor, who can assess their individual risk factors and advise on the next steps.
Jacob Soo, BCF’s chief executive, says the partnership aims to bring health conversations closer to where women live, work and study, “particularly to younger women and communities who may not see breast cancer screening as relevant or accessible to them”.
The foundation’s 2025 report, A Study In Pink: Young Women And Breast Cancer, found that nine in 10 young women are not taking active steps for their breast health, such as doing monthly breast self-examinations. It polled 800 women in Singapore aged between 18 and 40.
Priyanka Rajendram, clinical head of cancer prevention and control at the SCS, says fear is the biggest barrier.
“At our SCS Clinic @ Bishan, women sometimes tell us, ‘I’m scared because my friend said it’s painful’, or question whether screening works after hearing anecdotal stories of someone being diagnosed despite regular mammograms,” she says.
“We also see misconceptions that regular breast self-examination replaces mammograms or that women without a family history are unlikely to develop breast cancer.”
The success rate for treating breast cancer varies according to factors such as the type of cancer and age at diagnosis, says Lim Geok Hoon, an associate professor who is head and senior consultant of the KK Breast Department at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
But those diagnosed early tend to have a better prognosis. The five-year survival rate is 99% for Stage 1 and 93% for Stage 2.
It drops to 31.9% for Stage 4, says Lim.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Straits Times puts the spotlight on two warriors fighting the disease on different fronts – Lim, the oncoplastic breast surgeon, and Shermin Shu, a patient and muay thai practitioner using her social media accounts to spread awareness and positivity.
Original source: sg