The Manitoba government has announced a plan to lower the age for self-referrals for breast cancer screening from 50 to 40, with an initial commitment to reach age 45 by the end of next year. This initiative, unveiled by Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara, aims to enhance early detection and treatment of breast cancer in the province.
“Breast cancer has touched the lives of so many people in this province,” said Asagwara. “As we lower the screening age in Manitoba, it’s critical that the system has what it needs to meet a higher demand. This will ensure that vulnerable people – especially marginalized and low-income women – are able to access the care they need. The previous government’s disregard for women’s health and cuts to health care caused limited capacity for breast cancer screening. As we rebuild this capacity, we’re taking a comprehensive and thoughtful approach so both patients and health-care staff are supported.”
CancerCare Manitoba is collaborating with health system partners to hire more mammography technologists and increase screening appointments for individuals aged 50 to 74. Additional breast screening clinics will be added as targets and staffing requirements are met. When fully expanded, the breast screening program will nearly double its capacity to over 80,000 screening mammograms per year.
“With this change, CancerCare Manitoba’s breast screening program will be providing more mammograms closer to home and with care to providing culturally sensitive and appropriate services,” said Sri Navaratnam, president and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba. “Our priority will be increasing access for people who are typically underserved by the health-care system and we are grateful for the province’s support and commitment to equitable care for Manitobans.”
Dr. Duncan Inglis, surgeon and medical director of the Breast Health Centre, emphasized the importance of breast cancer screening. “Screening for breast cancer is an important service that can be crucial to ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment for patients. Expanding breast screening to more Manitobans will save lives and we look forward to working with our partners at CancerCare Manitoba to deliver this service to the people who need them in a timely manner.”
Mayor Frances McIvor of Wabowden, a member of Peguis First Nation and a breast cancer survivor, expressed her support for the initiative. “I am glad to see that increasing access to breast cancer screening is a focus. As a breast cancer survivor, I feel it is important to be able to provide increased access to mammograms to people in their communities and I am looking forward to encouraging many of the women I know to attend.”
This initiative marks a significant step towards improving breast cancer care and ensuring equitable access to health services for all Manitobans.
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