Advocates say Sask. gov’t did not properly prepare to drop mammography age to 40 from 50 | CBC News

Advocates for both early breast cancer detection and existing breast cancer patients say the Government of Saskatchewan dropped the ball on preparing the health-care system to accommodate all breast health needs. 

On Sept. 25, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA) and the province said the eligible age for mammograms would drop from 50 to 40 with a “phased-in” approach.

“It’s not an automatic opening the floodgates to all women 40 and up. It’s a stage rolled out approach because we do expect 76,000 women are now newly eligible with the lowering of the age. We can’t flood the system that way,” said Deb Bulych, president and CEO of the SCA.

The phased roll-out will begin in January 2025 with ages 47 to 49. June 2025 will phase in ages 45 to 47. January 2026 will phase in 43 to 45 and June 2026 is when mammography eligibility will include all of the 40 to 50 age bracket. 

This news was a big upset to Jennie Dale, co-founder and executive director of Dense Breasts Canada, which advocates for early detection of breast cancer across the country. 

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) released its ‘Breast Pathway Vision Report’ in September 2020. In the document the SHA said that “annual mammography screening beginning at age 40 has the largest mortality reduction benefit in terms of life years gained.”

WATCH | Dense Breasts Canada says Sask. isn’t acting fast enough to catch and treat breast cancer: 

Now, Dale is asking what the province has done to prepare in the last four years. 

“Saskatchewan has had a long time to prepare for this. It has had a long time to find additional staff. To say that you are now going to stall another year from January until you get to 40 then you are definitely not only putting lives at stake, but people will suffer,” Dale said. 

“You have failed.”

Dale said continuous follow-ups and the ability to get timely care is essential for breast cancer patients and survivors. 

“When you have breast cancer, you have breast cancer. There is a possibility that it can return at any time. Attention needs to be paid to women with breast cancer as well,” said Dale, who herself is a breast cancer survivor. 

Saskatchewan has had a long time to prepare for this. It has had a long time to find additional staff. To say that you are now going to stall another year from January until you get to 40 then you are definitely not only putting lives at stake, but people will suffer.– Jennie Dale, Dense Breasts Canada

“We are advocating for early detection of breast cancer, but that applies to women who do not have breast cancer as well as women who do have breast cancer because of the risk of recurrence.”

Dale said the province’s long phased-in approach will impact women, families and communities. Some women in their 40s will have cancer, and their survival can be prevented by detecting the cancer early.

“You have a choice. You can find them at stage 1 or you can find them at stage 2, 3 or 4. So you are losing a year plus by doing this. So to me, it’s just stalling. Absolute stalling,” Dale said. 

Weyburn advocate says women are waiting over a year

Lisa Vick, a breast cancer survivor and advocate in Weyburn, told CBC she is concerned that the province is overloading an already stretched out, over-capacity system by lowering the mammography eligibility age from 50 to 40. 

“Is there going to be some bumping? Is there going to be some priority for those women who are already cancer patients and need that yearly screening? Because let me tell you, waiting and waiting is horrific. I went through it myself,” said Vick.

“I would love for those women from 40 to 50 to be in there. If I’d have been in there, [my cancer] might have been caught sooner, right? But I just feel like those that are already in the system and are supposed to be getting those yearly check-ups, they’re waiting almost two years at this point.”

Is there going to be some priority for those women who are already cancer patients and need that yearly screening? Because let me tell you, waiting and waiting is horrific. I went through it myself.– Lisa Vick, breast cancer survivor and ‘thriver’

Vick is organizer for WeyStrong, a group that aims to provide support to women in the Weyburn community who have been diagnosed with cancer. She said a top concern for women is waiting for follow-up MRI scans. 

Women are also sharing with Vick that mammogram appointments that should be in 6 to 12 month increments are now 12 to 18 months.  

Vick said a woman in the community she advocates for was on a long waitlist for a CT scan, and her cancer had metastasized during that wait. 

Meanwhile, Vick said women are still waiting months for diagnostics on found lumps.

“It’s just, it’s unbearable really. We need to do better for the women of this province,” she said. 

NDP highlight alleged breast health failures

In a press event Friday, Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck also told reporters that women are waiting for months in anxiety for mammograms and biopsies and other critical cancer tests.

“Hearing that diagnosis or worrying [if] you have a lump . . . cancer is already a fight for those who find themselves in this situation, and under Scott Moe and the Sask. party, this trend is going to get worse,” Beck said. 

On Friday Beck was joined by Kayla Deics and her partner Logan Seidlik. Deics was recently diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at age 35. They said they have had to travel out of province to Calgary to receive care. 

Beck said that had they not traveled out of province – at their own expense – to receive a biopsy, Deics would still be waiting for test results confirming her diagnosis. The earliest appointment she was offered in Saskatchewan was February 2025. 

SHA and Ministry of Health share recruitment progress

In a statement to the CBC, the SHA and Ministry of Health said that since September 2022, the province’s Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan “has accelerated efforts to attract and retain health-care workers of all profession types.”

The province said it’s focused on connecting with future graduates and medical residents in both Saskatchewan and out of province, and “sourcing high priority needs,” including anesthesiologists, medical oncologists, hematologists and medical radiology technicians.

Progress on the action plan is updated monthly on the Government of Saskatchewan website.

“The Ministry of Health, SHA and SCA are working on a staffing plan to ensure we are able to meet the demand for the breast cancer screening program as it expands to include women from 40 to 49,” the statement continues.

The Ministry of Health, SHA and SCA are working on a staffing plan to ensure we are able to meet the demand for the breast cancer screening program as it expands to include women from 40 to 49.– Government of Saskatchewan

In the meantime, the SHA has approved funding for breast cancer initiatives, including screening programs. This includes funding for seven full time-equivalents (FTE) of specialized Medical Radiation Technologists (MRT) to support enhanced screening, and one FTE for an MRT supervisor to also support screening.

According to the statement, the SHA also recently funded two radiologists to attend six-month fellowships to become specialized in breast imaging and intervention. One of these physicians began working as a breast radiologist in September in Regina, and the second is expected to start work in Regina in early 2025.

The province said it’s funded additional supports for surgeons who provide breast cancer surgeries “to ensure adequate capacity to meet surgical timelines,” but did not elaborate on what those supports are. 

Meanwhile, Dale and Dense Breast Canada said it’s important to go directly to students and incentivize them to sign up to train x-ray technologists. 

“And you have to start teaching, put mammography into the curriculum. It’s not in the curriculum right now. And you have to perhaps pay for their schooling —  do something with the tuition to make it attractive,” Dale said. 

She pointed to Alberta and its success with training x-ray tech to become a thermography techs. And in British Columbia, Dale said they’re training their mammography techs to become ultrasound techs.

The province told CBC that any decisions to speed up or slow down the gradual phasing-in of the new screening program criteria will be made as it progresses through the transition period. 

The new Breast Health Centre in Regina is expected to open to patients later this fiscal year. 

The province said the team at the centre is working on developing standardized education material for use across the province.