Ontario has announced that significantly more people will be able to take part in breast cancer screening as the age of self-referral is to be lowered from 50 years down to 40 years.
The change for the publicly funded Ontario Breast Screening Program is expected to take place in the fall of 2024, said an Ontario Ministry of Health news release.
In Sudbury, the breast screening program is carried out at Health Sciences North (HSN).
This historic expansion will help more than 305,000 people across Ontario connect to important screening services to detect and treat breast cancer sooner, said the release. It is estimated that this will add an additional 130,000 mammograms that can be completed per year.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said earlier screening will pay off and save lives.
“Nearly 12,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and we know early detection and increased access to care saves lives,” said Jones.
“That is why our government is taking this important step today to expand the Ontario Breast Screening Program to connect more than 305,000 additional people to the services they need to ensure timely diagnosis and access to treatment as early as possible.”
Research has shown that regular screening, including mammography can help detect breast cancer before it has the chance to spread, said the ministry. By lowering the age of self-referral for mammograms, eligible Ontarians aged 40-49 who don’t have a primary care provider will be able to connect to screening more easily by self-referring through any OBSP site, said the ministry.
It also encourages more women to have conversations with their health care provider about their risk factors and benefits of screening to determine if it is right for them, the release continued.
Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said the changes to the breast screening referral age will build a more connected and convenient health care system.
“The people of this province can have confidence as our government moves ahead with our responsible and targeted approach to building a strong Ontario, that we will continue to provide better services for you and your family," said Bethlenfalvy.
The province said early detection is vital to helping people beat breast cancer. Screening is offered at 241 OBSP sites across the province, said the health ministry. When found early, many people survive breast cancer, with a 100 per cent, five-year relative survival rate for those diagnosed at stage-1, said the ministry.
However, the survival rate drops to less than 30 per cent for those diagnosed at stage-4. Early detection is critical, said the health ministry.
