Research conducted by Queen Mary University of London has concluded that whole-population testing for mutations linked with a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer is cost-effective, Pharma Times reported on Thursday.

The researchers claim that screening the entire population for genetic mutations, as opposed to those deemed at high risk of carrying the anomalies, could prevent more ovarian and breast cancers than the current approach.

Implementing blanket screening for British women over the age of 30 could lead to 17,000 fewer cases of ovarian cancer and 64,000 less breast cancers over a lifetime.

Led by researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary and Barts Health Trust, supported by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the study involved mathematical models that compared the costs and health benefits of different strategies for genetic testing.

Population testing for multiple cancer genes was found to be the most cost-effective, and prevented many more ovarian and breast cancers than current methods, according to the researchers.

The UK's National Screening Committee is now said to be looking at the findings "with interest".