With the rate of breast cancer screening by local governments falling below 50%, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has a policy of allowing interviews to be conducted without the presence of doctors so that screening can be carried out easily even in areas suffering from a shortage of doctors.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, killing more than 14,800 people annually and affecting approximately one in nine women in their lifetime.



Due to the importance of early detection, the national government requires municipalities to conduct medical examinations every two years for women over the age of 40, but according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the rate of adult consultations is only 47%.



In the examination, an interview is conducted in addition to the X-ray examination called mammography, but since the presence of a doctor is obligatory, there are areas where it cannot be performed as expected due to a shortage of doctors.



For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to allow medical professionals such as nurses to conduct interviews without the presence of a doctor.



The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has already decided to allow X-ray photography to be performed without the presence of a doctor, and will continue discussions with experts to review the guidelines.