Local advocates pushing to lower routine breast cancer screening age

With October being breast cancer awareness month, some advocates are speaking out about the government’s need to lower the age for routine breast cancer screenings, which is currently 50 here in Manitoba.

“It’s frustrating that we are one of the last two provinces to start lowering our screening age; Quebec is the other province. I do believe that I would have benefited from screening in my 40s. I was diagnosed at the age of 53,” said Jenny Borgfjord, a breast cancer survivor.

Fiona McIntyre, a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at 47, says, “It would have been so much worse if I didn’t get diagnosed until I was in my 50s.  I’m a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, you know, I might not be sitting here. That’s why this is important to me.”

Adding, “Bottom line is, women are dying, it’s really that simple.”

Manitoba Health Critic Kathleen Cook pushed the government during question period this week to reduce the age to 45 by the end of this year, and 40 by 2026,  A promise the NDP government made last year, but Cook questions whether those plans will come to fruition.

“We urge the NDP government to keep their promises and make this a priority.  Women’s lives depend on it,” said Cook.

“The NDP passed the bill at second reading, but they failed to send it to committee, and at that time, the minister of health also promised to lower the age for routine breast screening to age 45 by the end of this year.  We’re now into October 2025, and there’s no word from the government on whether we’re going to be able to hit that milestone.”

But Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says the government is on track to keep their promise.

“We’re more than committed, we’re on track to successfully lower the age of screening to 45 at the end of this year and certainly to the age of 40 by 2026,” said Asawara.

Beyond the assurance, Asagwara says the government has a plan in place to make sure the age change won’t add pressure to the health care system, with an influx of new patients.

“We’re making sure that we’re successfully training and recruiting the technologists needed. We’re more than halfway there in recruiting and training the technologists needed to reduce the breast cancer screening age,” said Asagwara.

McIntyre says, “It’s a start, it’s whether or not they’re going to follow through on it, that’s the question.”