By: Kimberly Carson, CEO, Breast Cancer Canada
This week, I visited Ottawa to meet with Members of Parliament and federal officials about a critical priority: lowering the national breast cancer screening age to 40.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in Canada, and early detection saves lives. When breast cancer is caught early, treatment is often less invasive, and more effective. Yet current guidelines leave many Canadians under 50 without routine screenings, creating a dangerous gap in timely detection.
During my meetings, I emphasized several key points:
- Early Detection Saves Lives: Catching breast cancer early improves survival and quality of life.
- Equitable Access Matters: Rural, remote, and higher-risk communities need timely screenings to ensure everyone benefits from early detection.
- Modernized, Evidence-Based Guidelines: REAL Canadian Breast Cancer Alliance provides annually updated standards to ensure consistent, high-quality care nationwide.
- Data-Driven Policy: Collecting detailed breast cancer data—including quality-of-life and demographic measures—will help close treatment and research gaps.
- Faster Access to Treatment: Policies like Project Orbis can help Canadians access promising therapies more quickly, ensuring they benefit from scientific advances.
During my visit to Ottawa, I had the privilege of meeting with key leaders across government, including Members of Parliament, representatives from the Office of the Minister of Health, and policy leaders from the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of them for taking the time to connect, share insights, and learn about our mission. Their engagement and dedication are invaluable as we work together to ensure that breast cancer care is more personalized and accessible for all.
“Every Canadian deserves timely access to breast cancer screening. Lowering the screening age to 40 is a science-backed, actionable step that will save lives.”
Our message to policymakers was clear: by lowering the national screening age to 40, modernizing the Task Force, adopting REAL Alliance guidelines, improving data collection, and prioritizing early access to care, we can transform breast cancer outcomes for Canadians.
The time to act is now. Early detection saves lives.
– Kimberly
