Ontario Breast Cancer Screening Program
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers for women in Ontario. 1 in 9 women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in her lifetime.
People ages 40 to 74 have a lower risk of dying from breast cancer when they are screened regularly with mammograms. Screening can find breast cancers when they are small, less likely to have spread and more likely to be treated successfully.
Breast Cancer Screening for People with an Average Risk (no family or personal history of breast cancer)
Your age and family medical history helps determine when you should get screened.
If you are between 40 to 74 years of age, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) recommends you have a mammogram every 2 years.
You do not need a referral from a doctor or nurse practitioner to schedule a mammogram. Call 1-800-668-9304 to schedule your mammogram. You can also choose to call one of the Breast Screening Programs listed below.
Your mammogram may indicate that you have dense breasts. To learn about breast (chest) density, how you can find out your density, how density can affect your health and recommendations for screening (checking) your breast (chest) density visit: Cancer Care Ontario
Breast Cancer Screening Wait Times and Location Tool
Click here to access the Ontario Wait Time Reporting Website: An online tool that helps find local OBSP sites and approximate wait times for mammography screening
Breast Cancer Screening for People with a High Risk (Family or Personal History of Breast Cancer)
If you are between 30 to 69 years of age and meet any of the following requirements, talk to your healthcare provider about a referral to the High Risk Ontario Breast Screening Program:
- You are known to have a gene change (mutation) that increases your risk for breast cancer (e.g., BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53, PTEN, CDH1).
- You have a first-degree family member (parent, sibling or child) who has a gene mutation that increases their risk for breast cancer (example: BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53, PTEN, CDH1).
- You have a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, prostate, or pancreatic cancer.
- You have had radiation therapy to the chest to treat another cancer or condition (example: Hodgkin Lymphoma) before age 30 and at least 8 years ago.
Your healthcare provider will be able to help determine if you are eligible for the high-risk breast screening program or if your genetic testing is necessary to better understand your risk of developing breast cancer.
What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink: If you regularly have 1 alcoholic drink every day you increase your risk of getting breast cancer by 10%. To reduce your risk of any cancer, it is better to not drink alcohol at all. There is no safe amount to drink when it comes to breast cancer risk. If you choose to drink alcohol, keep your risk as low as possible by having no more than 2 drinks of alcohol a week. The less alcohol you drink, the more you reduce your cancer risk.
Maintain a healthy body weight: A high body weight can increase your risk of some cancers. Working towards or keeping your best body weight can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of cancer.
Be physically active: Low levels of physical activity may increase your risk of some cancers. People of all body weights can benefit from physical activity. Physical activity has many health benefits, even without weight loss. Be physically active for at least 20 to 30 minutes each day, if possible. You can do this by completing 10 minutes of activity at a time.
Talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about the benefits and risks of birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy: Taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy to help with symptoms of menopause may increase your risk of breast cancer.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Being pregnant and giving birth may lower your risk of getting breast cancer. Breastfeeding for 1 year or more may also lower your breast cancer risk.
