The Evolving Approach to Breast Cancer Screening and Treatment in Canada: Implications for Primary Care Providers

Nearly 30,000 Canadians are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, and while its mortality has decreased by over 55% since the 1970s due to modernized screening technologies and advances in systemic therapy, 5,500 Canadians are estimated to die of the disease every year. Primary care providers are critical through all steps of a patient’s breast cancer journey, from facilitating routine screening, to identifying breast cancer risk factors, ensuring expedient referrals, and recognizing acute or chronic treatment toxicities and their impact on overall physical and psychological health.