Organized Breast Cancer Screening Programs in Canada - 1996 Report

Summary and Future Directions

This document is the first of a series of biennial reports on provincial/territorial organized breast screening programs in Canada using data from the Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Database (CBCSD). Organized screening ensures that meticulous quality assurance practices are in place and allows monitoring and evaluation of screening performance. Currently, all 10 provinces and the Yukon have organized screening programs, and the Northwest Territories is implementing an organized program.

Despite an increase in the number of women participating in breast screening programs over the past decade, participation of women in the target age group remains low, with participation rates in 1996 ranging from 10.6% to 54.2%. Participation is expected to increase in the coming years, as programs continue to expand their services and as the benefits of breast screening in organized settings are being recognized.

The 1996 results show that breast screening programs in Canada compare well with internationally established outcome indicators. Characteristics of screen-detected cancers, for example, fall within the ranges set by screening programs in other countries. Among women aged 50 to 69, 51.8% of invasive cancers were less than 15 mm in diameter, and 76.6% of invasive cancers did not have lymph node metastases. Detecting cancers when they are small and unlikely to have spread beyond the breast is necessary to achieve a reduction in breast cancer mortality.

A biennial report based on 1997/98 results is planned for the year 2000. As well, the database provides opportunities for more in-depth investigations of many aspects of organized screening, and has the potential to advance scientific knowledge in the area of breast cancer screening. Representatives from Health Canada and provincial programs are currently in the process of setting priorities for future research efforts.

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