Screening mammography

In 2000-01, 51.8% of women aged 50 to 69 had received a routine mammogram screening within the preceding two years. A mammogram is a safe low-dose X-ray of the breast that is used to detect tumours at an early stage. Currently, mammograms are recommended every two years for women aged 50 to 69.

Overall, women in their fifties were less likely than women in their sixties to have had a mammogram screening within the preceding two years (50.6% versus 53.7%). Provincially, mammography screening was high in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec and lowest in Newfoundland.

Some predominantly urban health regions and suburban areas near large urban centres have a high rate of mammography screening

In 2000-01, only seven health regions in Canada had a significantly higher-than-average proportion of women aged 50 to 69 who had received a routine mammogram screening within the preceding two years: Mistahia Regional Health Authority in peer group F (65.2%), Région de la Montérégie in peer group H (61.5%) and Ontario's Kent-Chatham, Oxford, Lambton, Windsor-Essex and Haldimand-Norfolk public health units in peer group I (60.9%, 63.6%, 65.3%, 65.6% and 67.3%, respectively). However, six other health regions had high rates (among the top 10%) of mammography screening that were not considered significantly different from the Canada average because of the high variability in their data.

Two of these regions were in peer group I. Of the remaining 27 health regions in this peer group's 34 health regions, two had mammography screening rates that were significantly below the national average of 51.8% -- West-Kootenay-Boundary (British Columbia), at 40.0% and Ontario's Brant Public Health Unit, at 41.1%. Rates for the other 25 urban/semi-urban health regions were not significantly different from the overall rate.

Other health regions also had high rates (among the top 10%) of mammography screening. However, their rates were also considered not significantly different from the Canada average because of high variability in their data. Three of these regions were in suburban areas near large urban centres (peer group J). They were Durham and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health units (both in Ontario) and British Columbia's Upper Island/Central Coast.

Regions in the Far North and Atlantic Canada have low rates of mammography screening

In the Far North/Northeast (peer group C), one health region had a rate of mammogram screening that was significantly below the Canadian average of 51.8% in 2000-01. This was Saskatchewan's Northern Health Services Branch (33.9%). Burntwood/Churchill in Manitoba had a rate that was not significantly different than the overall rate while the rate for Nunavut was suppressed due to high sampling variability.

In the Far North/Northwest (peer group F), three health regions had rates of mammography screening significantly below the national rate: Alberta's Northwestern Health Authority (28.4%), the Northwest Territories (35.9%) and the Yukon (37.4%). Health Labrador Corporation had a rate that was among the worst 10% of all health regions, but was not significantly different from the national average.

In rural Atlantic Canada (peer group D), three of the nine health regions had rates of mammography screening significantly below the national rate of 51.8% in 2000-01. These rates were 29.4% in Grenfell Regional Health Services Board and 33.8% in Health and Community Services Western Region (both in Newfoundland) and 32.5% in Zone 5, Nova Scotia. The other six health regions had rates not significantly different from the national average.

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