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, according to health officials. However, the survival rate drops to less than 30 per cent for those diagnosed at stage 4. Early detection is critical.
Starting today, women over the age of 40 can self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP). The Ontario government says this expansion will give an additional one million women the option to connect to 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.
Ross Memorial Hospital is an affiliate of the Ontario Breast Screening Program, imaging patients with state-of-the-art digital mammography and breast MRI units. The staff there perform approximately 7,000 exams annually.
“It’s very important we like to stress the point of early detection,” Stephanie Leahy, Breast Health Navigator at Ross Memorial Hospital told Kawartha 411 in 2021. “It is important starting at age 40 they can come in every year and we compare them, that’s how we can tell if there are small changes and catch them at the beginning.”
In fact, Leahy says today’s technology can pick up a cancer the size of a pen tip. Read more here: https://www.kawartha411.ca/2021/10/24/early-detection-saves-lives-a-reminder-to-book-your-mammogram/
To support this 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. During October, 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.
Through the OBSP, hospitals and other participating clinics currently perform approximately 700,000 screening mammograms each year in Ontario.
If you wish to schedule a mammogram, please contact RMH’s mammography booking clerk or breast health navigator at 705-328-6175.
