Ontario Breast Screening Program: Expanding to People Aged 40 to 49 October 8th, 2024
The provincial-wide Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) was launched in 1990 to encourage people in Ontario to get screened for Breast Cancer. As of October 8th, 2024, people ages 40 to 49 will be included in the OBSP.
***A REFERRAL FROM A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE OBSP. PEOPLE CAN SELF-REFER BY CALLING AN OBSP SITE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT- SEE LOCATIONS BELOW****
OBSP screens two different groups of people in Ontario:
1) those at average risk
2) those at high risk of developing breast cancer
Goals of the OBSP:
- Find cancer early when it is less likely to have spread to other parts of the body
- ensure that all eligible participants receive benefots of organized screening
OBSP (AVERAGE RISK) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
As of October 8th, 2024, Women, Two-Spirit people, trans people and nonbinary people ages 40 to 74 are eligible for screening through OBSP if they:
- have no new breast cancer symptoms
- have no personal history of breast cancer
- had not had a masectomy
- have not had a screening mammogram within the last 11 months
- if transfeminine, have used feminizing hormones for at least five years in a row
For more information visit Cancer Care Ontario
For assessing individual risks for breast cancer visit the My Cancer IQ.
