Labor promises breast scan practices change to help early cancer detection

Tasmanian Labor would make an immediate change in breast cancer screening practices if elected, bringing the state in line with BreastScreen Australia’s national policy.

Ella Haddad Labor health spokesperson with Carol Wever breast cancer survivor. Picture: supplied

Tasmanian Labor would make an immediate change in breast cancer screening practices if elected to government, bringing the state in line with BreastScreen Australia’s national policy.

Currently, BreastScreen Tasmania has not adopted the national policy of informing women if they have dense breast tissue after routine mammograms.

Breast Screen Tasmania logo.

Dense breast tissue can make it more difficult to detect cancer on a mammogram, yet patients are often not informed about how it may affect the accuracy of results.

Labor health spokesperson Ella Haddad said the change was a “simple, low-cost” one that would allow women to make “informed choices about their health”.

“Other states have already moved to inform women of their breast density after screening, giving them the opportunity to pursue additional testing if they choose,” she said.

“Labor’s commitment to breast density notification is about supporting prevention, improving transparency, and delivering a fresh start for healthcare in Tasmania.”

But Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma said Labor was “shamefully trying to claim credit for” a change that was “already happening”.

“This change is already underway through BreastScreen Tasmania, following changes to the national guidelines in late May 2025,” she said.

“Breast screening is not a political game and it is disgusting that Labor would use it to gain votes a day before the election.”

Around half of women who undergo mammograms have dense breast tissue.

Clinical Nurse at Breast Screen Tasmania. Picture: Chris Kidd.

Breast cancer survivor Carol Wever, whose tumour was discovered just four months after she was given the all-clear from a routine mammogram, said the current policy was “life-threatening”.

“My tumour was very large, at least two years old, and had already metastasised — but it was never picked up on a mammogram due to my dense breast tissue,” she said.

“Had I been told I had dense breasts and been informed to get an MRI, my tumour would have been discovered much sooner, the treatment would have been far less invasive, and my prognosis would be much better.”

“This policy will be lifesaving for Tasmanian women.”

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Originally published as Labor promises breast scan practices change to help early cancer detection