Dr. Janie Lee comments on Canada’s new breast screening guidelines

UW Radiology Professor and Section Chief Janie Lee. MD, MSc, recently commented on Canada’s newly updated breast screening guidelines in an interview published in MedScape titled, “New Canadian BC Guidelines Emphasize Personal Choice.” 

Dr. Lee noted among other factors the key difference among overall populations and healthcare systems in the US and Canada. “For example, the USPSTF (US Preventive Services Task Force) specifically highlighted the potential for reducing breast cancer mortality in Black women,” she said, when making updated recommendations earlier this year, while the Canadian guidelines instead highlight the, “need for more research on the impact of screening” across race and ethnicity groups.

She also mentioned that “screening every year versus every other year is more routine in the US compared with Canada,” and that, “nonmedical factors influencing health which may also influence access to medical care and timely diagnosis of breast cancer may be different between our two countries.”

In closing, Dr. Lee stated that “The most important take-home message is that the scientific evidence is strong that screening mammography saves lives. These new recommendations will hopefully result in more early diagnoses of breast cancer and save more lives. Screening works best when it’s used regularly, regardless of how frequently you return.”