Oncologiste – Breast Cancer Screening

Breast cancer screening is the regular examination of a woman’s breasts to find breast cancer at early stage.

Breast cancer screening saves lives. Between 1990 and 2008, breast cancer death rates in Ontario women aged 50–74 decreased by 37% due to improved cancer treatments, increased participation in breast cancer screening, and a recent decline in breast cancer incidence.

Regular breast cancer screening can find cancer when it is small, which means:

• There is a better chance of treating the cancer successfully.
• It is less likely to spread.
• There may be more treatment options.

Mammography (breast x-ray) remains the best screening test for most women.

For women aged 30-69 who have been confirmed to be at high risk for breast cancer, breast MRI in addition to mammography has been shown to be the most effective screening approach.