What women need to know about breast cancer screening in Canada

Canadian medical experts are urging women to get their routine breast screenings, as many have fallen behind and experts say larger and more developed cases of breast cancer are now being found.

Earlier this month, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) shared that more than 400,000 fewer mammograms were performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. With mammogram capacity back to pre-pandemic levels in Ontario, health officials there are advising women to resume regular screening so potential breast cancer can be detected in its earlier stages. 

Breast cancer is a major health concern in Canada, with one in eight Canadian women diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. 

"There are two benefits of getting screened and having cancer detected early," said Dr. Paula Gordon, a breast radiologist and a clinical professor in the University of British Columbia's radiology department, in an interview with CBC's The Dose. 

Watch / Canadian medical experts say fewer mammograms performed during pandemic

"One is that women are less likely to die of breast cancer. The other is that if they do get breast cancer, they can be successfully treated with less aggressive treatment."

If it's been a while since your last mammography or if you've never had one, here is what some of Canada's leading experts on breast cancer say you should know.

In Canada, mammography is the frequently used test to find breast cancer. 

There are two types of mammography, according to the Canadian Cancer Society: 

"Screening mammograms are the best method for detecting breast cancer early and can usually find lumps before women or their doctors can feel them," said Dr. Rose Zacharias, a family physician with a hospital-based practice and president of OMA during a recent news conference.

A number of factors contribute to your risk. Some are factors that women can control, and others they can't, said Gordon.

A family history, genetic mutations, previous chest radiation and atypical cells on a breast biopsy are all risk factors that cannot be controlled and put those women at a higher risk.

Black, Asian and Hispanic women are also at a higher risk of getting breast cancer earlier in life, Gordon added.

"Their incidence peaks in the mid-40s, whereas [for] white women it peaks in the early 50s and 60s," she said.