​Dear friend,

New federal breast cancer screening guidelines were released in November by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. The Task Force is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop clinical practice guidelines for preventive health care. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation has significant concerns about the new guidelines. Following the release, we issued a statement to the media in response.

We want to share our position on the issue with you, and explain our concerns with the new guidelines. We will continue to keep you updated on any developments on this topic, and invite you to ask any questions or post your comments on our Facebook page or by emailing cbcfbc@cbcf.org.

The new guidelines recommend against regular mammography screening for women 40-49, at average risk of breast cancer. Yet scientific evidence demonstrates that earlier detection and diagnosis through an organized breast cancer screening program can save lives and reduce mortality among women 40-49 by an estimated 25 per cent(this is the current practice in BC and considered a gold standard).

The guidelines recommend routinely screening women 50-74 every two to three years (current practice in BC every two years). Furthermore, the task force recommends not routinely performing clinical breast examinations and not advising women to routinely practice breast self-examination to screen for breast cancer.

CBCF’s position remains that strong scientific evidence and public demand exist for screening Canadian women aged 40-49 for breast cancer and we will not be changing our position. In addition, we will continue to recommend annual clinical breast exams and regular breast self-exams for women of all ages through our ”be breast aware” messaging.

Of significant concern to us is that the new task force report relied heavily on old data from “randomized controlled trials” (RCT’s) related to breast cancer screening and mammography. Some of these studies are 25-40 years old and were based on equipment that is now outdated. Since that time, there have been significant improvements to analog technology and the continued adoption of digital mammography across Canada.

Digital mammography has been shown to increase screening accuracy in women with dense breasts, younger women, and premenopausal and perimenopausal women, the group the Task Force recommends be excluded. Scientific evidence, including data from British Columbia, where women 40-49 are eligible to be screened through the Screening Mammography Program, show 25-39 per cent mortality reduction among screened women in this age group. And these data were derived even before widespread implementation of digital mammography in British Columbia.

We are concerned that the task force’s methodology and use of dated evidence have led them to over-estimate the “harms” of screening, while underestimating its benefits. We believe that when women are presented with balanced information about the benefits and limitations of screening, they can make informed decisions about what is right for them.

Since 1-in-6 women who die from breast cancer are diagnosed in their 40s, we simply cannot afford to see opportunities missed for earlier detection.

At the moment, nothing has changed here in BC. We encourage all women to have their regular mammograms, beginning at age 40 until age 79. Screening is available to women younger than 40 and 80+ with a doctor’s recommendation.

Again, we will continue to keep you updated on this issue. In the meantime, please share this message with your family and friends and post your comments on our Facebook page or by email at cbcfbc@cbcf.org.


Sincerely,

Susan Ewanick
Chair, Board of Directors