Organized Screening Programs in Canada

Organized screening programs began in British Columbia in 1988 and have since expanded to include all provinces, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories (Table 1). Breast cancer screening in all organized programs includes a bilateral two-view screening mammogram. Manitoba, Ontario, and Newfoundland also provide a clinical breast examination (CBE) carried out by a trained health professional, and Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island provide a modified CBE by a technologist. In addition, all programs provide information and/or instruction on breast self-examination.

For the purposes of the Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Database, the target population is defined as asymptomatic women between the ages of 50 and 69 years with no prior diagnosis of breast cancer. All programs also screen some women outside the target age group. Screening program practices regarding women outside the ages of 50 to 69 are presented in Table 2.

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