Saskatchewan lowers age eligibility for breast cancer screenings

On Jan. 2, the Saskatchewan government lowered the age of eligibility for breast cancer screening to 43, from 45, with plans to further lower the age to 40 by June. Advocates in the province appreciate the progress but wish the changes had come sooner.

The age for screening had been 50 at the start of 2025, changing later in the year to 45.

Breast cancer survivor Karrie Gavin says that had she not pushed her doctor to give her a mammogram before the age of 50, she would have died. Gavin told Global News that even her own physician thought only women over 50 had to worry about breast cancer.

“Cancer almost killed me,” Gavin said after sharing her stage-three diagnosis. “It’s so important to fund and be aware that this is not an old lady disease, there are women in their 20s being diagnosed with breast cancer.”

Lisa Vick, another survivor, says she did not meet the age eligibility when she found her lump. The doctors did proceed with treatment, but Vick had to wait several months to get the proper care. To speed things up, Vick travelled all the way to Calgary to get her biopsy done.

“All in all, it was about a five-month wait from the time that I found my lump to the time that I actually had met with a surgeon and started the process,” Vick said.

Early detection is key for breast cancer, with the five-year survival rate reaching almost 100 per cent for cancer found at stage one.

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Jennie Dale, founder of Dense Breasts Canada and a breast cancer survivor herself, said mammograms should start as early as age 40, as that is the best age for the breast to be imaged. Younger women may have denser breasts and may need to go for an ultrasound instead. She said it is important for women younger than 40 to be doing frequent self-examinations and advocating for themselves if they notice anything is off.

“Mammograms can pick up cancer two to four years before (lumps) can be felt, and in (Lisa Vick’s) case, there was potential there if she had a mammogram in her 40s that the cancer would have been picked up at a smaller size,” explained Dale.

According to Know Your Lemons, a sign of breast cancer can be a hard lump that feels like a lemon seed.

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