Many women eligible for Ontario's Breast Screening Program are not getting screened

CANCER CARE ONTARIOAug 24 2011

Ontario has one of the highest survival rates for breast cancer in the world, with nearly 90 per cent of women surviving the disease, yet, more than half a million women eligible for Ontario's Breast Screening Program (OBSP) are not getting screened.

"Close to 9,000 Ontario women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. But the good news is that today, 88 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive the disease," said Dr. Linda Rabeneck, Vice President of Prevention and Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario. "With appropriate screening and early detection that number can only increase. We encourage all eligible women in Ontario to take control of their health and get screened."

Breast cancer screening is recommended as a necessary part of a regular health check-up for women aged 50 to 74. However, many women are hesitant about the possible discomfort and inconvenience of the screening procedure or the fear of what they might find out as a result of screening.

To help encourage early detection through screening, the province is stepping up its efforts to reach out to women and also expanding the OBSP. Women between the ages of 30 and 69 who are at high risk for breast cancer because of genetics or a personal or family history are now eligible to receive an annual breast screening MRI and a mammogram through the program.

Women who think they may be at high risk can visit their family physician for a referral to the OBSP.  A woman who has already been identified as being at high risk for breast cancer can be booked at an OBSP High Risk Screening Centre for annual breast screening MRI and mammography.  If a woman has been identified by her family physician as being potentially at high risk, she will be referred for genetic assessment by the OBSP to confirm her risk status. Women aged 50 to 74 who are not at high risk, can call any OBSP screening location to make an appointment since a physician's referral is not needed.

Women are encouraged to see their family physician to discuss what breast cancer screening option is appropriate for them. Ontarians can also visit ontario.ca/screenforlife and complete the "Time to Screen" tool to find out when it's the right time for them to get screened.

Additional Facts

• Administered by Cancer Care Ontario, the OBSP, which currently screens women aged 50 to 74, will now provide an extra 90,000 screens over the next three years to women aged 30 to 69 who are at high risk for breast cancer.
• In addition to receiving annual screening, women who are at high risk will also receive notification of their results, follow-up breast assessment services after abnormal screens, and automatic recalls when they are due to be re-screened.
• Research shows that breast cancer in women at high risk tends to be more aggressive and develop at a younger age than in the general population.
• Studies show that regular screening detects cancers earlier, resulting in increased chance of survival, less invasive treatments and ultimately, improved health outcomes for women.
• To date, the OBSP has provided more than 4.1 million screens to more than 1.2 million women and detected more than 22,000 breast cancers, the majority in the early stages.