Ontario lowering age for regular breast cancer screenings to 40

Ontario is lowering the age for regular, publicly funded breast cancer screenings from 50 to 40, which Health Minister Sylvia Jones says will help with early detection.

Jones made the announcement at a press conference Monday and says the expansion means that an additional 130,000 mammograms will be completed in the province each year.

The move follows a draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force earlier this year that said screenings should begin at 40 to align with evidence that earlier screenings would have a moderate benefit in reducing deaths.

The change in Ontario means that beginning in the fall of 2024, eligible women, non-binary, trans and two-spirit people between the ages of 40 and 74 can self refer for a mammogram every two years.

Today our government announced we are expanding access to breast cancer screening by lowering the age of eligibility to include those aged 40-49 to connect more Ontarians to the care they need, when they need it.

Learn more: https://t.co/WG3ms0UkVY pic.twitter.com/iUK2aqScef

— Sylvia Jones (@SylviaJonesMPP) October 30, 2023

The option to get regular mammograms and breast MRIs between the ages of 30 and 69 if they are considered to be high risk, such as those with a family history of breast cancer or those carrying certain genes that are known to increase risk of the disease.

READ MORE: New breast cancer screening technology comes to Hamilton’s St. Joseph’s

The ministry says that between now and next fall, sites that offer screening will be hiring new staff and will work along with the government to develop a public reporting system so patients can see provincewide wait times.

“Nearly 12,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and we know early detection and increased access to care saves lives,” Jones said in a statement.

“That is why our government is taking this important step today to expand the Ontario Breast Screening Program to connect an additional one million women to the services they need to ensure timely access to treatment and save lives.”

A spokesperson for Jones said Ontario Health is working on determining how many staff will need to be hired, so was unable to say at this point how much funding will go toward the expansion.

READ MORE: Oakville Trafalgar Hospital offering areola tattooing for breast cancer patients