Revising Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines in Canada

On May 30, 2024, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care released a draft revision of its breast cancer screening recommendations. Unfortunately, the Task Force has once again advised against routine screening for women aged 40-49, much to the disappointment of breast cancer experts, patients, and primary care providers as well as the general public. This keeps Canada’s national guideline lagging behind most other relevant jurisdictions, including most of the provinces and the USPSTF, which have begun to recommend screening starting at age 40.

Health Minister Mark Holland expressed strong disapproval of this recommendation. Critics have highlighted that the Task Force did not monitor the outcomes of its 2011 guideline and repeated the same recommendation in 2018. There is a growing call for a thorough review of these guidelines, and of the Task Force itself, to better serve Canadians.

As discussions continue, it is crucial that evidence-based, patient-centric guidelines are crafted to safeguard the health of all women in Canada. Let us hope that this draft leads to a more satisfactory and safe set of recommendations that truly prioritize preventive health care practices for Canadian women.

Expert Recommended Guidelines

For the Expert-Recommended Guidelines, please click here.

 

Expert Statements

Jean M Seely, MDCM, FRCPC, FSBI, FCAR
Testimony to the Status of Women Committee June 10, 2024
● Professor, Department of Radiology, University of Ottawa
● Founding President of the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging
● Head, Breast Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital

 

 

Martin J. Yaffe PhD, C.M., FRSC.
Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
Senior Scientist, Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Co-Director, Imaging Research Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

 

David N Fisman MD MPH FRCPC FCAHS
Professor, Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

 

Patient Statements

Patient Advocate Shira Farber’s Testimony to the Federal Status of Women Committee June 11, 2024