The leaflet sent to women in England who are called for breast cancer screening is to be rewritten for the second time, and the effectiveness of screening is to be reviewed by an independent panel, as the Department of Health moves to resolve growing doubts over the programme.

The undertakings are announced today in the BMJ by the national cancer director, Mike Richards (BMJ 2011;343:d6843, doi:10.1136/bmj.d6894). Although he backs the advice of the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening that the programme saves lives and does more good than harm, he says that he will have no hesitation in putting a contrary view before ministers if the review should reach a different conclusion.

He has also promised a new approach …