Breast cancer screening in Canada, 2026

Recruitment

Participants are recruited into breast cancer screening programs using a variety of strategies. Participants can be referred to screening by a physician in all jurisdictions, and self-referrals are accepted in most jurisdictions.

Other recruitment strategies used are letters of invitation, advertising and social media, and referrals from nurse practitioners or other healthcare providers.

Breast cancer screening referral strategies

_{Data are current as of February 2026.}

_{*Footnotes:
NT: Yellowknife’s BSP accepts self-referrals (40–74) for persons living within the Yellowknife Region and Sahtu Region. Hay River’s BSP accepts self-referrals (40–74) for persons living in Hay River catchment with a designated PCP. All other locations served require a referral from PCP to enter into the BSP.
BC: Referrals also accepted from walk-in-clinic physicians and naturopaths.
AB: Annual media campaign to raise awareness using social and traditional media, search engine marketing.
SK: Currently, women <50 are not actively recruited. Women 50-74 receive a letter of invitation. Promotional activities include community outreach, social media awareness campaigns and distributing print materials as well as leveraging town websites, and local media to share mobile visits.
MB: Targeted social media (Instagram, Facebook) promoting the mobile screening clinic to encourage participation.
ON: People ages 40 to 49 are encouraged to talk to a provider about the risks and benefits of breast screening to support informed participation. An initial invitation letter will not be sent to those ages 40 to 49 (invitation letters still issued at age 50 if an individual has not yet screened).
ON: Includes program-led and Ministry of Health-led promotional content (e.g., posters, postcards, social media posts).
NS: Healthcare provider recommendation. Social/digital media advertisement for breast screening targeted to mobile breast screening availability and locations.
NL: Women can now self-refer through the MyHealthNL App which integrates into the provincial cancer screening IT system.}