Mammothon Event Aims to Boost Breast Cancer Screening Rates

This Friday, May 12th, women across our region will have increased access to breast cancer screening mammograms. ‘Mammothon’ is a one-day breast cancer screening marathon that aims to increase breast cancer screening rates in Northwestern Ontario.

“Right now, only 62 percent of women in our region have had a mammogram in the last 2.5 years,” said Tarja Heiskanen, Manager of Screening and Assessment Services at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “A mammogram is the best screening test for breast cancer. It’s important for women to get screened because detecting breast cancer early can improve health outcomes.”

Five (out of six) Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) sites in Northwestern Ontario are participating in Mammothon this year. This is the second year that Mammothon is being offered to women in the region because of last year’s success. Last year, four OBSP sites participated in the event, screening 134 women. Most importantly, 40 percent of those women were overdue for their cancer screening.

“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women, with one in eight women expected to be diagnosed in their lifetime,” explained Heiskanen. “In Northwestern Ontario, our population has higher risk factors for developing cancer, so it’s very important that we encourage men and women to get screened for cancer. Mammothon is a great opportunity for women to get screened and maybe even win a prize!”

The Ontario Breast Screening Program recommends that women between the ages of 50 and 74 years get screened for breast cancer every two years with a mammogram.

As an incentive to get screened, women who do complete a mammogram on May 12th will receive a free gift bag and be entered into a draw to win a gift certificate.

You can find out your risk of developing breast cancer, and five other cancers, by completing a confidential, online risk assessment tool called My CancerIQ. Visit, www.mycanceriq.ca.

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