Alberta is lowering the age for routine breast cancer screening to 40, in a move the government says will increase access to cost-free self-referral for publicly funded mammograms.
The new policy is being rolled out over the coming year and is expected to be fully in place by next April, according to Preventative Health Minister Adriana LaGrange’s April 22 announcement. She added that the move is expected to improve health outcomes via earlier diagnosis and higher overall screening rates.
Until the new policy is fully in place, women between 40 and 44 will still need a referral from a doctor to receive a publicly funded mammogram….