25 years after breast cancer screening programmes were introduced, researchers in the UK say there's no evidence they've cut the number of women dying there.

Oxford University's study claims the biggest fall in death rates is among the under-40s - who aren't routinely screened.

Cancer charities insist the programmes DO save lives.

The research focused on breast cancer deaths in the Oxford area of the UK between 1979-2009.

Breast cancer rates in the region peaked in 1985 before declining - both the increase and the decrease happened before the introduction of standardised breast cancer screening.

Since then, the decrease in breast cancer rates has been greatest in the under 40s age group, an age group that isn't normally offered screening. The drop was about 2% every year between 1988–2001 and 5% per year, on average, between 2001–2009.

There was no evidence that declines in mortality rates were consistently seen in age groups that had been screened either once, or several times.

Pictured above, Health minister James Reilly at the launch of a campaign highlighting DNA testing for breast cancer here