Statement on Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines

I would like to thank the work of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care for the updated draft breast cancer screening guidelines.

The Task Force is an independent panel created to design national preventive health care guidelines. The purpose of these national guidelines is to provide clear leadership to health care providers.

However, while this process has been independent, I have serious concerns about the Task Force’s findings. It is critical that these guidelines provide the best guidance to both Canadians and our health care system. Therefore, I am taking the following steps:

First, I am inviting leading experts on breast cancer to carefully review the draft guidelines and to share their critical analysis during the consultation period. I’ve called for an extension of the public consultation period with stakeholders from 6 weeks to a minimum of 60 days, so that everyone can contribute on this deeply important issue.

Secondly, I have asked the Chief Public Health Officer to convene the senior provincial and territorial officials and key experts to review the guidelines and to share their best practices.

The Task Force has identified important research gaps and uncertainties that we will address urgently through the following.

• I have directed the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) to work with the Chief Public Health Officer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, officials at Women and Gender Equality Canada as well as key partners to figure out what the research gaps are.
• I have instructed Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to increase support to community organizations to raise awareness on breast cancer screening, empowering women, particularly women with ethnicities at higher risk, to make informed decisions about their health care.
• I have asked Statistics Canada to accelerate the next phase of analysis of disaggregated data, including race and age.

Lastly, I also asked PHAC to accelerate the launch of the external expert review that will examine the processes of the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care and provide recommendations to improve the process for the Task Force to ensure that we are responding in a timely manner to emerging needs and expectations of Canadians.

It is important that Canadians trust the process of public health guidance. Public health guidance must protect Canadians. That is why I am taking these actions today to make sure that Canadians have the resources they need to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy.

The Honourable Mark Holland

Minister of Health

Source: Mark Holland (@markhollandlib), “Statement on breast cancer screening guidelines,” X, 30 May 2024, 1:58 p.m.