Breast Cancer Screening Updates from Canada
While Canadian breast cancer screening advocates celebrated the Canadian Cancer Society’s endorsement of lowering the screening age to 40, unfortunately the soon-to-be-released Canadian Task Force guidelines are unlikely to do the same. Ten out of twelve provinces with screening programs have lowered the screening age to 40, but it is still important that the Task Force do so as well, since Task Force guidelines would inform primary care providers who often discourage breast screening until the age of 50. Despite the increasing incidence of women in their 40s presenting with advanced breast cancers, the Task Force does not seem poised to lower the recommended screening age.