A First in Ontario

October 29, 2007

Women across Northwestern Ontario will benefit from a new digital mammography unit to be installed on the Ontario Breast Screening Program’s Mobile Coach this week, thanks to an investment of close to a million dollars from Cancer Care Ontario and the Northern Cancer Research Foundation.

Thunder Bay continues to be a leader in cancer care services. Not only are the Northwest’s OBSP recruitment and retention rates top in the province, but Thunder Bay is the first site in Ontario to receive funding for digital screening mammography from Cancer Care Ontario. Bill Campbell, provincial program director for the Ontario Breast Screening Program, was in Thunder Bay to mark the occasion.

“The mobile coach is an excellent example of how innovations in cancer care can impact people so positively. It’s one of the goals of Cancer Care Ontario and the OBSP, that all women, no matter where they live, have access to the best quality cancer care and screening tools,” Campbell said.

With digital mammography, a breast x-ray is still performed the same way as with an analog, or film-screen, mammography unit. Film-screen mammography is still considered a highly-effective screening method for the early detection of breast cancer, but digital mammography is an emerging technology that is becoming more available across Ontario. It is considered to be more effective for screening women under the age of 50 or women who have very dense breasts.

In Northwestern Ontario, digital mammography will benefit all women using the coach.

“The coach visits 30 communities in Northwestern Ontario, and some only once each year. If you live in Red Lake, for example, and your breast screening image has to be redone, you might have to wait another year for the coach to return or travel to another community,” said Raylene McGhee, Manager of Screening Programs with Regional Cancer Care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).

“The biggest advantage to having digital mammography on the coach is that the mammography technologist can view the image immediately. If there is a problem with the quality or technical factors of the image, another image can be performed while the woman is still on the coach.”

The Northern Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) is a key partner in this initiative that will have a significant impact on cancer screening services in our region.

“Supporting breast cancer screening and research is a very important part of the NCRF’s mandate,” said Jody Nesti, NCRF board member. “Every year thousands of local residents support the improvement of breast cancer care through events such as the Bachelor Auction, the Luncheon of Hope and many other community events. This announcement further demonstrates the NCRF’s commitment to funding leading-edge cancer care in Northwestern Ontario, and we are proud to say that 100% of funds raised by the NCRF stay in our region.”

All women age 50 and over should have a mammogram every 1-2 years. For more information or to book an appointment, call 1-800-461-7031.