Overview
- María Varela, 43, who has stage IV metastatic breast cancer, has gathered more than 48,000 signatures and is approaching 50,000 since launching her Change.org petition last week.
- She asks that the first routine mammogram be set at age 40 for all women and that the Ministry of Health harmonize screening across Spain’s autonomous communities.
- Public programs currently vary, with most regions inviting women at 50, some at 45, and earlier screening at 40 largely reserved for higher‑risk cases.
- Coverage notes international shifts, with U.S. guidelines moving the start to 40 and recent European guidance favoring 45 and extending programs to age 74.
- Varela says her cancer was discovered after seeking care for back pain and contrasts a cited €100 mammogram with her reported €5,000 per month treatment, as her petition gains national attention.