Reflecting on the global fight against breast cancer, this issue continues to top the list of the most common cancers, with North America standing out in its success in keeping mortality rates relatively low. This success is largely attributed to early detection practices, such as mammogram screening. Ontario is the bustling heart of Canada’s diverse population, leading the charge with the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP). This public initiative, welcoming middle-aged to older women at average risk, as well as special programs for those at high risk, demonstrates Ontario’s dedication to early breast cancer. However, Kuved’s sudden appearance on the 19th threw a wrench in his work, halting all cancer screenings after the provincial emergency declaration. This necessary but serious step has sparked concerns about the long-term impact of breast cancer detection rates and the possibility of widening the gap into these critical screenings.
Amid the thickness of the COVID-19 pandemic, key research led by Dr. Rui Fu and Dr. Antoine Eskander of the University of Toronto, as well as their esteemed team, has attracted the focus of a significant decline in Ontario’s breast cancer screening. , Canada. Their survey, published in the Preventive Medicine Report, examined the effects of mammogram rates in middle-aged to older women, thus pointing to the intensification of existing gaps based on various demographic aspects.
The pandemic has led to a sharp decline in screening activity, which has gradually improved but has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. “While there seems to be no difference in profiles of OBSP participants in Ontario, studies from around the world have shown that screening activity in specific groups of women has declined more significantly during the pandemic,” Dr. Fu said. “This reveals from The obvious obstacles faced by women of different backgrounds, especially those considered low-risk or living in areas with less populations.
Dr. Eskander elaborated: “Our goal is to measure the overall impact of the pandemic on weekly mammogram rates on women at average risk for middle-aged to older age and investigate whether Covid-19 has been further emphasized Their detailed approach to collecting and analyzing data day by day reveals not only the immediate impact of the pandemic, but also its potential long-term impact on public health strategies.
To accurately assess the impact, the team adopted a straightforward approach to speaking to medical professionals and laypeople. They asked participants to have a positive Ontario postal code at the start of the week, which allows precise calculations of factors such as community bias and economic accessibility. “The end date of data collection reflects the latest information about OBSPs when we analyzed it,” explains Dr. Fu, showing a thorough and thoughtful approach taken to understand the real impact of the pandemic on mammogram rates. This critical study not only brings the stark reality that health care sectors face during the pandemic, but also emphasizes the need for focused efforts to patch the differences. As Ontario and the entire world, in the advancement of the post-era, the insights of Dr. Fu and Dr. Eskander’s research are priceless. They laid the foundation for developing a more inclusive and accessible cancer screening program to ensure that every woman needs support in her fight against breast cancer.
Journal Reference
Rui Fu, Jill Tinmouth, Qing Li, Anna Dare, Julie Hallet, Natalie Coburn, Lauren Lapointe-Shaw, Nicole J. Look Hong, Irene Karam, Linda Rabeneck, Monika Krzyzanowska, Rinku Sutradhar, Antoine Eskander, “COVID-19 pandemic impact On the potential intensification of screening mammogram differences: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada” Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102578
About the Author
Antoine Eskander, MD, SCM, FRCSC
Dr. Eskander is a head and neck oncologist (including thyroid and dermatology) and reconstruction surgeon with an interest in health service research, clinical epidemiology and quality improvement. He has conducted extensive research on cancer in Ontario and published an ICES epidemiological map with Ontario’s health community.
Dr. Rui Fu
Dr. Fu is a postdoctoral fellow in the evaluation of clinical sciences at the University of Toronto Sunnybrook Research Institute. As a health service researcher, she has a broad research interest in health economics, clinical epidemiology, and machine learning.
