breast cancer

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

mammogram

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

OBSP Wait time picture

Ontario Breast Screening Program Locations in the Central East Region 

City/Town Name of Clinic & AddressHours of Operation Phone Number Booking Appointment Details
AjaxDurham Radiology Associates
95 Bayly Street West, Suite 101
Ajax, ON, L1S 7K8
Mon to Thur: 8AM - 4PM
905-428-0444
AjaxLakeridge Health - Ajax
580 Harwood Avenue South
Ajax, ON, L1S 2J4
Mon to Fri: 8AM-3PM

905-721-4717
AjaxRossland Diagnostic Clinic
300 Rossland Road East, Unit 102,
Ajax, ON L1Z 0M1
Mon to Fri: 8AM-5PM
905-426-3111https://rosslandic.ca/services/mammography/
BowmanvilleLakeridge Health - Bowmanville
47 Liberty Street South
Bowmanville, ON L1C 2N4

Mon, Wed, Thur: 8AM-4PM
Tue: 8AM-11AM
Thur: 8AM-8PM
905-623-3331 ex. 27009
CampbellfordCampbellford Memorial Hospital
146 Oliver Road
Campbellford, ON K0L 1L0
Tue & Thur: 8:30AM-3:30PM
705-653-3104
CobourgNorthumberland Hills Hospital
1000 DePalma Drive
Cobourg, ON K9A 5W6
Mon to Fri: 7AM-4PM
905-377-7795
CourticeCourtice Imaging Centre
1450 Highway #2
Courtice, ON L1E 3C3
Mon to Fri: 8AM-4PM
905-721-4932
LindsayRoss Memorial Hospital
10 Angeline Street North
Lindsay, ON K9V 4M8
Mon to Fri: 8AM-4PM705-328-6175https://search.caredove.com/service/27473/request
OshawaLakeridge Health Oshawa
1 Hospital Court
Oshawa, ON L1G 2B9
Mon, Wed, Fri: 8AM-3:30PM
Tue & Thur: 8AM-7:45PM
905-721-4717
OshawaImpexxus Medical Imaging - Oshawa
11 Gibb Street
Oshawa, ON, L1H 2J9
Mon & Thur: 9AM-5PM905-579-1445https://www.impexxus.ca/Request-Appointment
PickeringWELL Health Diagnostic Centres - Pickering
1105 Kingston Road, Suite D202
Pickering, ON L1V 1B5
Mon to Fri: 8:30AM-4:30PM905-420-3068
PickeringPickering Diagnostic Imaging Centre
1885 Glenanna Road, Unit 106
Pickering, ON L1V 6R6
Mon to Fri: 9AM-5PM905-831-2255https://www.pickeringimaging.com/booking-calendar/mammography-1?category=1b94d9fb-ce03-4194-8340-8b0d63eeaaf9&referral=service_list_widget
PickeringEXR Medical Imaging - Pickering
1690 Dersan Street, Suite 130
Pickering, ON L1V 2P8
Mon, Tue, Fri: 9AM-4PM905-839-1806https://exr.ca/appointments/
PeterboroughPeterborough Regional Health Centre
1 Hospital Drive
Peterborough, ON K9J 7C6
Mon to Fri: 8AM-4PM705-740-8166
PeterboroughThe Medical Centre
707 Charlotte Street
Peterborough, ON K9J 7B3
Mon & Tue: 8AM-4PM
Wed & Thur: 8:30AM-4:30PM
Fri: 8:30AM-3PM
705-876-4505
Port HopeBluewater Imaging - Port Hope X-Ray & Ultrasound
249 Ontario Street Suite 110
Port Hope, ON, L1A 3Y9
Mon to Sunday: 8AM-3:30PM905-885-9839
Port PerryPort Perry Imaging
462 Paxton Street
Port Perry, ON, L9L 1L9
Tue to Fri: 8AM-4PM905-985-9727
ScarboroughAlton Towers X-Ray and Ultrasound
240 Alton Towers Circle, Suite 203A
Scarborough, ON, M1V 4P3
Mon to Saturday: 9AM-5PM416-792-6314
ScarboroughEast End Breast Imaging
4002 Sheppard Ave E. Unit 204
Scarborough, ON, M1S 1S6
Mon to Fri: 9AM-4PM416-299-9895
ScarboroughEllesmere X-Ray
2880 Ellesmere Road
Scarborough, ON, M1E 4B8
Montday to Fri: 9AM-4PM416-284-1697https://exr.ca/appointments/
ScarboroughLighthouse Medical Imaging - Finch
4168 Finch Ave. East, G18
Scarborough, ON M1S 5H6
Mon, Tue, Fri: 8:20AM-4PM
Wed & Thur: 8AM-4:30PM
416-293-5940
ScarboroughQuantum Medical Imaging Services Inc.
2330 Kennedy Rd Suite 402
Scarborough, ON, M1T 0A2
Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri: 8AM-4PM
Wed: 9AM-4PM
Saturday: 8AM-12PM
416-756-7667
ScarboroughScarborough Health Network - Birchmount
3030 Birchmount Road,
Scarborough, ON, M1W 3W3
Tue, Wed, Thur, Saturday: 7:30AM-3:30PM416-431-8167
ScarboroughScarborough Health Network - Centenary
2867 Ellesmere Rd.
Scarborough, ON, M1E 4B9
Mon to Thur: 7:30AM-5PM
Fri: 7:30AM-4PM
Saturday: 7:30AM-3:30PM
416-431-8167
ScarboroughScarborough Health Network - General Site
3050 Lawrence Avenue. E.,
Scarborough, ON, M1P 2V5
Mon to Thur: 7:30AM-5PM
Fri and Saturday: 7:30AM-3:30PM
416-431-8167
ScarboroughScarborough Radiologists
3000 Lawrence Ave. East, Suite G03
Scarborough, ON, M1P 2V2
Mon to Fri: 8AM-4PM416-438-6636https://scarboroughradiologists.com/#booking
ScarboroughScarborough Women's Imaging Centre
2025 Midland Avenue. Suite 200
Scarborough, ON, M1P 3E2
Mon & Wed: 8AM-2:30PM
Thur & Fri: 8AM-4PM
416-296-1911https://ocean.cognisantmd.com/intake/IntakePortal.html?eReqRef=c83d9a5a-8a1b-4545-b143-b0c2bdc4a243
ScarboroughTrue North Imaging - Sheppard Diagnostic Imaging
1780 Markham Rd, Unit 5
Scarborough, ON, M1B 2W2
Mon to Fri: 8AM-4PM416-291-4770https://truenorthimaging.com/request-appointment/
ScarboroughVPM Imaging
520 Ellesmere Rd, Lower Level
Scarborough, ON, M1R 4E6
Mon to Fri: 8AM-5PM
Saturday & Sunday: 8AM-6:30PM
416-759-3462https://vpmimaging.com/services/mammography/#appointment
UxbridgeOak Valley Health - Uxbridge Hospital
4 Campbell Drive, Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1S4
Mon, Tue, Thur: 8:15AM-3:30PM


905-852-9771 x5249
WhitbyImpexxus Whitby Medical Arts Imaging
1615 Dundas Street East
Whitby, ON L1N 2L1
Mon, Tue: 9:15AM-4:30PM
Wed, Thur, Fri: 9:30AM-4:30PM

905-576-9729https://www.impexxus.ca/Request-Appointment
WhitbyGNMI - Whitby
200 Brock Street North
Whitby, ON L1N 4H5
Mon & Thur: 8:30AM-3PM905-666-4206https://www.gnmi.ca/appointments-2/
Whitby Whitby Health Centre
198 Des Newman Blvd
Whitby, ON L1P 0P9
Mon to Fri: 8AM-3:45PM905-721-3588

Family hx

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.

A close up of the word cure and an image of a check mark.