Health News For South West


Tuesday, October 08, 2024
Ontario. Ministry of Health - [Toronto - University Avenue] - [Public Health Care]
Ontario Connecting One Million More Women to Life-Saving Breast Cancer Screening

Lowering the age of self-referral to mammograms to 40 connecting more women to life-saving screening sooner

Starting today, women over the age of 40 can self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP). This historic expansion will give an additional one million women the option to connect to important screening services to detect and treat breast cancer sooner.

“Breast cancer affects one in every nine women in Ontario and we know early detection and increased access to treatment and care saves lives,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “That is why today our government is proud to take this historic step by connecting an additional one million Ontarians to the care they need, when and where they need it.”

Research has shown regular screening with mammography can help detect breast cancer before it has the chance to spread. By lowering the age of self-referral from 50 to 40, more women can now easily self-refer for mammograms through any OBSP site or by calling 1-800-668-9304 without needing a referral from a primary care provider.

To support this historic expansion of publicly funded mammograms, the province has invested nearly $20 million to increase the ability of participating OBSP partners to connect more women to screening by adding more site hours, appointment spots and training additional staff.

Of the one million women between ages 40-49 that are now eligible for mammograms, it is estimated that an additional 305,000 will self refer for screening. That’s why, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the province is encouraging all eligible women to have conversations with a health care provider or call Health811 to have a conversation about their risk of cancer and the potential benefits of breast cancer screening to determine if screening is right for them.

As part of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is connecting more people to the services they need, when they need them. This includes ensuring communities have the tools they need to diagnose and treat illnesses earlier and keep people healthier.    
         
Quick Facts:

  • Through the OBSP, hospitals and other participating clinics perform approximately 700,000 screening mammograms each year in Ontario.
  • When found early, many people survive breast cancer, with a 100 per cent, five-year relative survival rate for those diagnosed at stage 1. However, the survival rate drops to less than 30 per cent for those diagnosed at stage 4. Early detection is critical.
  • Through Your Health, the Ontario government has added 49 new MRI machines and approved 50 new CT machines in hospitals across the province, this is in addition to the 100,000 people that will be connected to diagnostic imaging through the province’s community surgical and diagnostic centre expansion.
  • The province is continuing to grow the health care workforce adding a historic number of new nurses and laboratory technologists through the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, As of Right rules and the 700 additional education seats for medical radiation and imaging technologists, medical laboratory technologists, medical lab technicians and medical radiation extenders announced in the 2024 budget.
         
Quotes:

"Breast cancer screening is critical to detect cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. It’s incredibly important that Ontario is expanding access to breast cancer screening through self-referral for people 40+ and will undoubtedly help to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer for more people in Ontario. Everyone in Canada should have equitable and timely access to breast screening, no matter where they live or who they are."

- Andrea Seale, CEO, Canadian Cancer Society

"The Ontario Association of Radiologists (OAR) strongly supports the Ontario government's decision to expand access to breast cancer screening by lowering the self-referral age to 40. This important step will connect more women to timely and essential mammogram services, significantly improving early detection and treatment outcomes. We are encouraged by the government's ongoing commitment to enhancing women's health and providing greater access to life-saving care."

- Dr. David Jacobs, President, Ontario Association of Radiologists

"We applaud the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) for its groundbreaking decision to lower the recommended age for mammography screening to 40! This important update is a major step forward in our commitment to women’s health and proactive cancer detection. By allowing women to begin screening earlier, we enhance the potential for early diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving outcomes for many. We encourage all women aged 40 and above to take advantage of this new guideline and discuss screening options with their healthcare providers. Early detection can save lives."

- Dr. Supriya Kulkarni, President, Canadian Society of Breast Imaging, Breast Division Lead, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto

"The expansion of the Ontario Breast Screening Program now means people aged 40 to 49 can access the benefits of screening along with the hundreds of thousands of people across the province who are regularly screened each year. To support timely access to screening, Ontario Health developed a mammogram wait times tool to help people find information including available appointment times for OBSP site locations near them."

- Judy Linton, Executive Vice President, Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs, and Chief Nursing Executive, Ontario Health    
         
Additional Resources:

         
Media Contacts:

Hannah Jensen
Minister Jones’ Office
Hannah.R.Jensen@ontario.ca

Media Relations
Communications Branch
media.moh@ontario.ca
416-314-6197

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