REGINA - Several major initiatives were announced by the province Tuesday to address breast cancer care and screening in Saskatchewan.
At a news conference at the Legislature, Minister of Health Everett Hindley, along with Minister for the Status of Women Laura Ross and surgeon Dr. Sarah Miller, announced several measures including opening of a new Breast Health Centre in Regina, the expansion of provincial breast cancer screening eligibility, and implementation of new tumour localization technology.
The moves are being made to address the backlog in diagnostic and surgical wait times for breast cancer. Many details, including amounts of funding and the staffing, are still to come with those details to be shared in the provincial budget. This announcement was made in advance of the budget, said Hindley, to reassure people of the government’s level of commitment to health care in the province.
“Improving patient care and wait times is a priority for this government,” said Hindley at the news conference Tuesday. “We know that receiving earlier screening, diagnosis, treatment ensures the best possible outcomes for patients.”
Here are five takeaways from that provincial announcement Tuesday:
New Breast Health Centre in Regina
The new Breast Health Centre is to open in Regina. It will be located at Regina Center Crossing on Albert Street and wibe operated by Saskatchewan Health Authority.
The Centre will be similar to the Breast Health Centre currently in Saskatoon. It is to be a focal point for a wide variety of services including diagnostic imaging, specialists consultation, patient education, and navigation to other on-site post-treatment therapies and rehabilitation.
Among the changes coming is that family physicians and nurse practitioners will be able to provide a referral directly to the Breast Health Centre, instead of having to coordinate multiple referrals for their patients. It is believed this will cut down on wait times and move things along, and also help in communication to clients.
“With the aid of a Breast Centre, again, with having a centralized service, we hopefully can provide wait time estimates and also give patients updates ‘well, this is a here you are in this process,’” Dr. Miller said,
It is also believed having the Breast Health Centre in Regina will help in attracting health care professionals and specialists.
"I firmly believe that this Centre will help with the retention of current breast specialists, aid in the recruitment of these specialists, and most importantly improve care for our patients," said Dr. Miller. "We know that early detection and timely access to care are key for positive outcomes.”
Hindley stressed a commitment to making sure the new Centre is fully staffed so it is fully operational. He said they are working to recruit five radiologists for advanced breast imaging and biopsy services in Regina.
“It sends a signal across the health care sector that this is something that is going to be a key focus for us, to make sure that we are reducing the waiting times,” said Hindley.
Changes to age of eligibility
The province is changing the provincial breast cancer screening age eligibility. Instead of from age 50 and older, it will now include women aged 40-49, starting in January 2025 through a phased approach.
Implementation of new breast tumour localization technology.
Also expected this spring is the implementation of new breast tumour localization technology.
This will be utilized in both Regina and Saskatoon. Under this technology a marker, known as a seed, is implanted by a radiologist up to 30 days prior to the procedure.
This is seen as providing a more comfortable and less painful experience to patients and should also reduce surgical delays and cancellations.
Update on private Calgary clinic
Hindley also provided an update on the “immediate action” the government announced last November to reduce breast cancer diagnostic wait times: to place patients on an urgent wait list to receive procedures at a medical facility in Calgary.
According to the latest numbers for Feb. 23, Hindley said a total of 188 patients have been referred to the clinic in Calgary and 131 had already had their diagnostic procedures completed.
Additional measures
Additional proactive steps are also under way. Hindley said they are working closely with SHA more supports are being provided to Regina surgeons who provide breast cancer surgeries to make sure there are enough surgeons to meet the surgical timelines.
They are also collaborating with SHA on increasing access to diagnostic breast cancer services including temporarily expanding breast cancer diagnostic imaging capacity in Saskatoon and Regina.
The government is also investing in additional lab resources and technology, including additional lab techs and technologies to streamline processes.
