Researchers say that as part of the UK's NHS breast screening program, additional scans should be provided for women with very dense breasts to help spot more cancers and save lives.

A study led by the University of Cambridge found more than 9,000 women with different scans using traditional mammograms, which could make the number of cancers found in this group of women.

About one in 10 women have very dense breasts and are at a higher risk of breast cancer, but cancer is difficult to detect in dense breasts due to the way mammograms (mammograms) work.

This is because they look whiter on X-rays and are the same color as early cancers.

The trial tested different scanning methods for women with very dense breasts who underwent mammograms and told them they were not cancerous.

Only through mammograms can women and their health professionals identify very dense breasts.

Louise Duffield, 60, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, was one of the participants in the trial for the diagnosis of early breast cancer.

She had surgery to remove the tumor within a few weeks.

She said it was a "big shock" when she got the diagnosis.

"It's a stressful period and it's gone. The deep inside the tumor is deep inside the breasts, so if I'm not on the trial, it's probably been overlooked for years."

The study, published in The Lancet, found two alternatives, namely enhanced mammograms and rapid MRI scans, with cancer detected 17-19 times per 1,000 women screened.

Both techniques use injections to make blood vessels more visible – tumors in the breast have many blood vessels.

In contrast, traditional mammograms detected eight cancers in every 1,000 screened women. More than 20,000 cancers are currently detected each year.

Women aged 50 to 71 are invited to undergo breast examinations every three years, and about two-thirds of women accept the proposal.

Based on the study results and intake levels, using different scanning techniques for women with very dense breasts can identify 3,500 additional cancers each year and potentially save 700 lives.

Professor Fiona Gilbert, who leads the research, said she firmly believes that new approaches can make a difference.

“We need to change our national screening program to ensure that more cancers are diagnosed early, thus making more women more likely to survive.”

The Ministry of Health and Social Care said its screening consulting agency has been looking for ways to improve the rate of detection for women with very dense breasts.

It said it will review the findings of the trial but is determined to "fight cancer in all respects" to improve survival.

A new England National Cancer Plan is expected to be released later this year.