'Accessibility is the key': Breast cancer screening bus rolls into Weyburn

The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency’s Breast Screening Bus has made its way to Weyburn, just in time for the beginning of new screening standards in the province.

"The mobile travels to over 42 sites on an odd/even year basis. So right now, we're in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and we'll be there until the middle of February and then we visit, various other sites in 2025," Laurie Pearce, early detection coordinator with breast screening through the Saskatchewan Health Authority explained.

More women in the province will be seeking mammograms in 2025, thanks to the provincial government lowering the breast cancer screening age from 50 to 40 years old.

The screening age changes are currently being rolled out in phases. Currently, women aged 47 and up are eligible to receive mammograms.

"Access is a huge problem for people, especially in the northern part of our province in terms of getting somewhere to actually have a mammogram. So, women love that we can come to their communities, and they can just pop on that bus," Pearce said.

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The bus itself is very similar to any other clinic found in urban centres, other than the fact that it is on wheels.

The bus can provide up to 50 mammograms a day, and according to staff, the spots fill up quickly.

"People are always really happy to have the services available in their communities. We always have a fairly good turnout in the communities that we go to as well. People are really happy to have it," radiologic technologist Zoe Bevill explained.

According to the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, about a quarter of the women who annually receive mammograms do so on the bus.

"The communities are so generous. Often they will provide the power for free, because our bus has to be set up with power to operate, so the communities are very happy to have us come," Pearce explained.

Saskatchewan currently has one bus but is currently fundraising to get a second one. Something which will come in handy as an additional 76,000 women will be eligible for screening by the end of 2025.

"I believe that accessibility is the key in allowing people to be able to access early detection for breast cancer and by being able to travel to these smaller communities that may not have as easy of access to these screening services," Bevill explained.

"We are allowing those patients to be able to access them a lot easier, providing service to them. Some people may not be able to travel into a major center for different reasons. So having those services available to them is very important."

Anyone looking to get more information regarding their mammogram eligibility or scheduling can do so by checking the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency website or by giving the agency a call.

"It's super important that women, get a screening mammogram if they can," Pearce added.

"It's no different than going to get your teeth checked on a regular basis or your eyes checked. It should be part of someone's healthy lifestyle choice."