Health Minister Mark Holland reacts to new breast cancer screening guidelines.

Speaking with reporters on Parliament Hill, federal Health Minister Mark Holland comments on the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Healthcare’s updated guidelines for breast cancer screening. The minister outlines his concerns with the task force’s guidelines that do not recommend regular breast cancer screenings for women under 50 who are of average risk. In response…

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Medical experts call for reform of federal preventive health task force.

“Lives are at stake. It is our duty to prioritize the well-being of all Canadians.” April 15, 2024 For immediate release OTTAWA – Medical experts raised the alarm about the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday and called for its reform. The task force is a…

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Task force lambasted for holding firm on breast cancer screening advice.

Several cancer experts, surgeons and radiologists swiftly condemned a national task force’s draft decision not to lower the recommended routine breast cancer screening age to 40 on Thursday. The criticisms were echoed by federal Health Minister Mark Holland, who said he was “concerned” and “disappointed” in the task force’s findings and wanted leading experts to…

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Cutting through the confusion of latest mammogram guidelines.

A Canadian task force said last week that it does not recommend regular breast cancer screening for women under 50 who are at average risk, disappointing some healthcare professionals who say it will lead to confusion across the country. Radiologist Dr. Jean Seely tells The National’s Ian Hanomansing that screening shouldn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach…

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Canadian doctors are using ‘outdated’ guidelines to screen for cancer, experts warn.

Canada’s national guidelines recommend against breast cancer screening for women in their 40s, despite growing evidence in favour of it. A group of experts say the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care’s recommendations are outdated and lagging behind what other jurisdictions are doing to detect various forms of cancer early. (CBC News) Read More

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Vision screening in primary care: Flawed methodology, dangerous recommendations.

Guidelines in medicine can be very powerful. They consolidate vast amounts of knowledge – the magnitude of which may be difficult if not impossible for an individual physician to do – into concise recommendations. The process requires input from many experts, including those who understand the subject of interest; individuals with a knowledge of health-care…

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Excluding experts doesn’t make sense.

Ontario is lowering the age for regular, publicly funded breast-cancer screenings to 40 from 50, mirroring a similar recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force last May. Now, the attention turns toward the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. Will it follow the U.S. recommendations, as it has in the past? The ongoing…

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