Question Period Note: Breast Cancer Screening

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KEY MESSAGES
· Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death for women in Canada.
· Our Government is investing in increasing awareness of breast cancer; bringing together key partners and experts to discuss breast cancer screening; and taking action to address research and data gaps.
· On March 4, my predecessor announced a pause of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care’s work, including the update to the breast cancer screening guideline.
· The temporary pause creates the space to consider the External Expert Review’s recommendations and implement measures to modernize the Task Force.
IF PRESSED …
Q1: If pressed on how the release of the final breast cancer screening guideline is impacted by the pause on the Task Force’s work
A1:
• The temporary pause means that the Task Force will not undertake new work and it will pause current work until PHAC has reviewed and assessed the External Expert Review’s recommendations.
• The Task Force will pause guidelines under development, including the Breast Cancer Screening Guideline until further notice.
• PHAC is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Task Force leadership to operationalize the pause and support winding down of activities.
Q2: If pressed on why the Government of Canada is not following the lead of the United States in lowering the age for breast cancer screening from 50 to 40
A2 :
• Prevention guidelines are developed specific to the Canadian context and population.
• The Task Force has indicated that the differences relative to the United States relate to differences in the health system and population demographics, among other factors.
• It is important to respect the arms-length nature of guideline development so that Canadians can trust that the guidelines are evidence-based and that views of the government have not influenced the guideline recommendation.
Q3: If pressed on PHAC’s external review of the Task Force
A3:
• As requested by my predecessor, PHAC launched an External Expert Review of the Task Force in October 2024.
• The Panel, comprised of external subject matter experts, reviewed the Task Force’s governance, structure and processes, and looked at Canadian and international best practices. It presented its report and recommendations to the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on April 25, 2025.
• PHAC is assessing the Panel’s recommendations and will be establishing an external Implementation Advisory Panel to support the development of an implementation plan.
• The EER Final Report will be made available on the Government of Canada’s website anticipated in Spring 2025.
Q4: If pressed on the Government of Canada’s progress on actions indicated by the former minister in his May 30 statement on breast cancer screening and prevention
A4:
• A number of federal departments and agencies have taken steps to coordinate efforts and important initial actions on breast cancer screening and prevention.
• Our government has brought together experts and provincial and territorial officials to explore and share promising practices for equitable breast cancer screening, and created a research roadmap to identify and address gaps.
• We are accelerating the analysis of breast cancer data based on factors such as age and race/ethnicity to better understand trends and level of risk.
• We are working with organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society to raise awareness on breast cancer, screening, and prevention.

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• In 2024, an estimated 30,500 women in Canada were diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,500 died from the disease. One in eight (13%) women in Canada are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.