400K fewer mammograms done during pandemic: OMA

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) says approximately 400,000 fewer mammograms to screen for breast cancer were completed in the province during the pandemic than expected.

Even though screenings have returned to normal levels, the organization is warning that the temporary decrease in testing has led to cases of breast cancer that were more advanced at the time of diagnosis.

The OMA says nearly half of breast cancer cases diagnosed at the Ottawa Hospital before the pandemic were detected through mammogram screening, but that number dropped to less than one-third during the pandemic.

About 71 per cent of patients were diagnosed at the Ottawa Hospital after showing symptoms of breast cancer during COVID-19.

The association says survival rates of women with breast cancer decline if the detection of the disease is delayed.

It says wait times for treatment in Ontario – including surgeries – are currently longer than provincial guidelines, which is leading to poorer health outcomes and increased anxiety among patients.