Sask. woman left waiting 10 months and counting for cancer scan

A Saskatchewan woman is highlighting the dire state of breast cancer screening in the province.

Nadine Baker has been waiting 10 months and counting for diagnostic care. At 61, she’s at an increased risk of breast cancer and does everything she can to obtain regular screenings.

“My mom had breast cancer and she’s a survivor,” Baker told reporters. “She had it when she was 48 and was advised to tell her daughters and any granddaughters to please have early screening, make sure that you get regular early screening which I’ve done.”

“I did my due diligence.”

Speaking at the legislature on Monday, Baker said she was originally referred for diagnostic care by her family doctor in March of 2023 after she began experiencing symptoms of breast cancer.

She did not receive an appointment or update for 42 weeks.

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On Jan. 5, Baker received a call – updating her that there were still no appointments available unless she was willing to travel to another community or outside the province.

“I said yes. Absolutely, 100 per cent. I don’t care where I’ve got to go and the option that I was given was Calgary but they still don’t have an appointment,” she explained.

To ease wait times for patients, the province announced in December that it had purchased 1,000 scans from Clearpoint Health Network in Calgary, Alta.

The move was met with criticism from the opposition. Records show “Surgical Centres Inc.,” a subsidiary of Clearpoint, has donated to the Saskatchewan Party since 2016.

Since the announcement, 45 patients have been able to have their diagnostic procedures completed in Calgary, according to Minister of Health Everett Hindley.

The province has previously stated that its goal is to cut down wait times for breast cancer screenings to three weeks.

However, the Saskatchewan NDP claim most women in the province are waiting for an average of 10 weeks.

And in Baker’s case – she's waited more than 10 times the province's goal.

“The difference between 10 weeks and 10 months can mean life and death,” Health Critic Vicki Mowatt said.

“The Moe government has no excuse to be offering less and less services when other provinces like Ontario are expanding screenings for breast cancer and lowering the minimum age for self-referred screenings. The way Moe and his ministers make excuse after excuse, you’d think healthcare wasn’t a provincial responsibility.”

The number of mammograms performed in the province has declined by more than 10,000 since 2017 according to the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.

Boasting seven doctors conducting surgeries for breast cancer patients in 2018, Regina now only has three doctors performing those same procedures. All while radiologists are also in short supply.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said in November that the Regina Breast Assessment Centre only has a radiologist three days a week and sees no patients on Mondays and Fridays.

“It’s just a worry because not having it taken care of immediately and as quick as possible can mean that you're not there after the fact,” Baker added.

“I just want it checked into as soon as possible and I don’t want to sit around for many more months worrying about it.”

--With files from Wayne Mantyka