The BC Cancer Breast Screening Program resumed screening mammography services in select screening centre sites in June. The introduction of screening mammography occurred in a measured, phased approach, with each site working with downstream diagnostic services to ensure there is capacity for follow-up procedures, as well as sufficient personal protective equipment on hand before resuming services. It is anticipated that all sites, including three mobile screening units, will be screening again in July. This measured approach is to ensure that patient anxiety due to abnormal screening results is minimized, and to provide a safe environment for cancer screening to occur.
The Breast Screening Program has been contacting patients on existing wait lists and those whose previous appointments were canceled due to COVID-19 to book a new appointment.
Breast screening was temporarily suspended in March to support physical distancing measures and to assist in efforts to minimize COVID-19 transmission in the community. A temporary suspension in screening services allowed hospitals to redeploy and train essential health care workers in the likelihood of a potential surge in COVID-19 patients requiring acute care. For more information, visit www.screeningbc.ca/breast [9].
Links
[1] https://bcmj.org/cover/julyaugust-2020
[2] https://bcmj.org/node/7953
[3] https://bcmj.org/sites/default/files/BCMJ_Vol62_no6_news_3.pdf
[4] https://bcmj.org/print/news-covid-19/breast-cancer-screening-resumes
[5] https://bcmj.org/printmail/news-covid-19/breast-cancer-screening-resumes
[6] http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://bcmj.org/print/news-covid-19/breast-cancer-screening-resumes&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton
[7] https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Breast cancer screening resumes&url=https://bcmj.org/print/news-covid-19/breast-cancer-screening-resumes&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton
[8] https://bcmj.org/javascript%3A%3B
[9] http://www.screeningbc.ca/breast
[10] https://bcmj.org/modal_forms/nojs/webform/176
[11] https://bcmj.org/%3Finline%3Dtrue%23citationpop