Muna Al-Khaifi, GP Oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), Sinai Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“I had the pleasure of speaking on CBCRadio stations across Canada about the launch of the new National Advisory Committee on Preventive Health Services, announced on June 10, 2026.
While the previous Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care acknowledged that women aged 40 to 49 can self-refer, should have the opportunity to discuss breast cancer screening and access mammography if they chose to do so, it stopped short of recommending routine population-based screening beginning at age 40 for average-risk women.
This distinction became the focus of considerable debate across Canada. The discussion was not simply about access to screening, but whether the available evidence now supports a clear recommendation to routinely begin breast cancer screening at age 40. Many clinicians, researchers, advocacy organizations, and patients felt that evolving evidence, advances in imaging technology, and rising breast cancer incidence in younger women warranted a re-evaluation of existing recommendations.
Canadian data have shown increasing breast cancer incidence among women under age 50, reinforcing the importance of continually reassessing screening recommendations as new evidence emerges.
At the same time, screening recommendations must balance the benefits of early detection with potential harms, including false-positive results, overdiagnosis, and additional investigations. However, advances in mammography technology, improved risk assessment tools, a growing understanding of breast density, and emerging evidence supporting supplemental imaging have changed the screening landscape considerably over the past decade.
My hope is that the new committee will incorporate the most current evidence, consider advances in screening and imaging technologies, meaningfully integrate patient perspectives and lived experience, and ensure that health equity remains central to future recommendations. This includes addressing the needs and experiences of Black, Indigenous, rural, remote, and other underserved populations.
I also hope the committee provides clear, practical recommendations. Many family physicians and primary care providers rely heavily on national guidelines to support clinical decision-making.
We are hopeful that the new committee will carefully review the most current evidence and consider a clear national recommendation supporting routine breast cancer screening beginning at age 40 for average-risk women.
Such a recommendation would have a meaningful impact on millions of Canadians. It would provide clarity for patients and healthcare providers, support more consistent implementation across jurisdictions, and help improve early detection across the country.
I look forward to following the work of the National Advisory Committee on Preventive Health Services as it helps shape the future of cancer prevention and early detection in Canada.”
Proceed to the video attached to the post.
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