Health News For Champlain
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Arnprior & District Memorial Hospital
The Ontario Breast Screening Program Celebrates its 1 Millionth Woman Screened
Health Promotion Minister, 50 year old Margarett Best marked an important milestone for cancer screening today as she became the 1 millionth woman screened by the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP).
“Regular breast screening is an important part of taking care of my health and I encourage all women aged 50 and over to ask their health care provider if a mammogram is right for them,” said the Minister. “The OBSP provides women in Ontario with mammography services and I want to thank everyone involved in the program for your efforts and contributions to its success.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Ontario women. In 2009, it is projected that 8,700 Ontario women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 2,100 will die from the disease. In Ontario, it is recommended that women aged 50 and older have a screening mammogram, generally every two years.
“Since the Program began, the OBSP has provided over 3 million screens to Ontario women aged 50 and over and has detected over 16,000 cancers, the majority in early cancer stages,” said Terrence Sullivan, president and CEO, Cancer Care Ontario. “Breast screening saves lives and more women should get screened and not just for breast cancer. Women should be screened regularly for cervical cancer and now with ColonCancerCheck, women over 50 should be screened for colorectal cancer as well.”
“Screening finds breast cancer earlier, and by detecting cancer early women have more treatment options available to them,” said Dr. George Pasut, vice president, Prevention and Screening, Cancer Care Ontario. “While we know the mortality rate for women in the target age range with breast cancer is decreasing, we need to continue to work to reach under-screened populations and to ensure that services are available to continue to meet the growing demand.”
“The OBSP program is offered to women aged 50 and over; providing the same standard of care across Ontario. Screening Mammography has proved to be an effective and preventative health care measure,” said Dr. Cindy Morrison, Chief of Staff at the Arnprior & District Memorial Hospital.
“We are pleased to have the OBSP program here at ADMH. We want to ensure that the communities we serve are aware of the OBSP program at ADMH,” commented from the OBSP Team at ADMH. Benefits of this program include early detection and better treatments. To reach OBSP at ADMH please call 623-7962 ext. 359.
In 2008, there were just under 1.5 million Ontario women between the ages of 50-69 potentially eligible to participate in the OBSP. The number of women in this age group is increasing by approximately 48,000 women each year. Close to 63 per cent of eligible Ontario women are being screened for breast cancer with mammograms every two years. This rate has remained reasonably constant since 2000-2001. The goal of the OBSP is to achieve a 70 per cent participation rate in Ontario women aged 50-69 by the year 2010, and 90 per cent by the year 2020.
The Ontario Breast Screening Program is an organized screening program that offers important advantages to women. Women with or without a family physician can be screened through the OBSP, a requisition is also not required, but it is still important to see your doctor for regular checkups. Women can book their own appointments and are reminded by letter when they are due for their next mammogram.
To find an OBSP site, women can call 1-800-668-9304 or use the OBSP Screening Locations search tool at www.cancercare.on.ca/obsplocations.
Crystal LaRose
Public Relations - Arnprior & District Memorial Hospital/ the Grove Nursing Home
Tel: 613-623-7962 ext. 293
Email: crystal.larose@arnpriorhospital.com
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