OBSP – Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team

OBSP

September 17 2024

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.

October 30 2023

Important update to Breast Cancer Screening Age of Eligibility

Ontario is lowering the age of eligibiliy to receive public funded mammograms to include those ages 40-49. Regular screening can detect breast cancer before it spreads. To view the Ministry of Health news release click here.

Talk to your primary care provider to stay up to date with cancer screenings. For those who do not have a primary care provider, you can self-refer through the Ontario Breast Cancer Screening Program (OBSP) here.

“Nearly 12,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and we know early detection and increased access to care saves lives,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “That is why our government is taking this important step today to expand the Ontario Breast Screening Program to connect more than 305,000 additional people to the services they need to ensure timely diagnosis and access to treatment as early as possible.”