Breast Cancer Canada Survey Highlights Demand for More Consistent and Coordinated Breast Cancer Care
Breast Cancer Canada, a national charity focused on advancing breast cancer research and improving outcomes for patients, has released new national survey findings showing strong public support for a more coordinated approach to breast cancer care across the country. The survey highlights priorities spanning the entire patient journey, including earlier access to screening, faster and more innovative diagnosis, personalized treatment, and comprehensive survivorship care.
The findings point to a broad public expectation that Canadians should have access to consistent, evidence-based breast cancer services regardless of where they live. Breast Cancer Canada says that implementing national standards and continuing to invest in research could help address differences in access to screening, diagnosis, treatment and specialized follow-up care across provinces and healthcare systems.
Breast cancer is not a single disease. It encompasses more than 50 distinct types, each with different biological characteristics and clinical considerations. These differences mean that patients can require individualized diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies. At the same time, the availability of specialized services and approaches can vary according to geography, healthcare systems and local practices.
The survey suggests that Canadians want these differences in access and care to be addressed through greater coordination and consistency while maintaining personalized treatment based on each patient’s diagnosis.
Canadians Identify Gaps Across the Breast Cancer Journey
Breast Cancer Canada’s survey examined perspectives across multiple stages of the breast cancer continuum, from screening and diagnosis to active treatment and survivorship.
At the screening stage, 82% of Canadians surveyed support establishing a single national standard that would guarantee breast cancer screening beginning at age 40. The finding reflects public support for a more consistent approach to screening access across provinces.
Screening is an important component of early detection, and differences in eligibility, access and healthcare delivery can affect when individuals enter the diagnostic pathway. A national approach could provide greater consistency while allowing healthcare professionals to consider individual risk factors and clinical circumstances.
The survey also found substantial support for innovation in breast cancer detection. Ninety-four percent of respondents support public access to innovative approaches to breast cancer detection, including emerging technologies such as liquid biopsy.
Liquid biopsy approaches are being investigated for their potential role in cancer detection and monitoring through analysis of biological material such as circulating tumor DNA. Although emerging technologies require appropriate clinical validation and regulatory consideration, the survey finding demonstrates strong public interest in ensuring that potentially useful advances in breast cancer detection can become accessible to patients.
Treatment was another major area of concern. Seventy-five percent of Canadians support the development of a fully coordinated national breast cancer treatment framework intended to reduce disparities in equity and access.
Such a framework could help connect clinical expertise, research evidence and patient needs across the country. It could also support more consistent approaches to treatment while preserving the ability of healthcare professionals to tailor care to individual diagnoses.
Research remains another important priority. Eighty percent of respondents said more investment is needed in breast cancer research, highlighting continued public interest in scientific advances that could improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long-term outcomes.
Expertise and Evidence at the Center of Care
The survey also indicates that Canadians place considerable value on clinical expertise when national breast cancer guidance is developed.
Ninety-one percent of respondents said they believe it is crucial to include breast cancer experts with a medical background in the development of federal guidelines. The finding reflects the importance respondents place on ensuring that clinical knowledge and specialized expertise contribute to healthcare policy and recommendations.
Breast Cancer Canada says Canada has significant clinical expertise, research capabilities and patient experience that can contribute to improving breast cancer care. The organization argues that the challenge is ensuring that evidence and innovation are consistently translated into care pathways available to patients across the country.
“Complexity cannot be the excuse for inconsistency. Breast cancer care has never been more precise, but precision only matters when patients can access it,” said Dr. Mita Manna, Medical Oncologist and Chair of the REAL Canadian Breast Cancer Alliance.
“Every patient deserves access to the right information, the right diagnostic pathway and the right treatment for their individual diagnosis. This means bringing greater consistency to care across the country, while keeping the patient at the centre of every decision,” Manna added.
The comments emphasize the challenge of balancing standardization with personalization. While a national framework could establish greater consistency in access and care, breast cancer treatment must still account for tumor biology, disease stage and other patient-specific factors.
Survivorship Becomes an Increasingly Important Part of Care
The survey also highlights growing public attention to what happens after active breast cancer treatment ends.
Advances in breast cancer detection and treatment have contributed to more patients living for many years following diagnosis. As a result, survivorship has become an increasingly important component of comprehensive cancer care.
Survivorship can include ongoing surveillance for recurrence, management of long-term and late effects of treatment, monitoring of physical health, and support for psychosocial needs. Patients may also require continued medical services as their health needs change over time.
The survey found particularly strong support for recognizing survivorship as part of the overall cancer journey.
Ninety-two percent of respondents agreed that the cancer journey does not end when treatment is complete. In addition, 83% said all breast cancer patients should receive a medically supervised survivorship plan from their medical care team at the end of treatment.
The findings indicate that Canadians see a need for formalized follow-up rather than treating the completion of active therapy as the end of medical care.
Respondents also identified several specific areas where additional investment is needed. Sixty-seven percent supported greater investment in patient surveillance to reduce the risk of recurrence, while 63% supported more investment in addressing long-term side effects of cancer treatment.
Another 61% said more investment is needed to identify personalized care plans for patients’ ongoing medical needs and services.
These Canadians priorities reflect the diverse needs of people living after treatment. Some patients may require monitoring for recurrence, while others may experience persistent physical or emotional effects related to cancer or its treatment. Personalized survivorship planning can help healthcare teams address these needs over time.
Moving Beyond the End of Active Treatment
“Finishing active treatment is not the end of a patient’s breast cancer journey,” said Kimberly Carson, CEO of Breast Cancer Canada. “Survivorship needs to be recognized as an integral part of breast cancer care, with personalized surveillance and follow-up planned from the outset and tailored to each patient’s individual needs.”
Carson said closing gaps in survivorship care requires continued support for monitoring recurrence risk, managing long-term treatment effects and responding to patients’ evolving healthcare needs.
The survey results suggest that this perspective is shared widely among Canadians. The high level of support for survivorship planning indicates that the public views follow-up care as an important component of the overall treatment pathway.
Supporting a More Connected National Approach
Taken together, the survey findings point to demand for greater consistency across the breast cancer continuum. Canadians identified priorities ranging from screening at an earlier age and access to innovative detection technologies to coordinated treatment frameworks and structured survivorship planning.
The findings also come against a backdrop of increasing complexity in breast cancer care. As research continues to identify different biological subtypes and more targeted approaches, treatment can become increasingly personalized. However, access to specialized knowledge, diagnostic technologies and treatment options may not be uniform across the country.
Breast Cancer Canada says national standards and continued research investment could help address these challenges by connecting scientific advances with clinical practice and patient care.
The organization reports that 90% of Canadians surveyed believe there is still progress to be made in breast cancer care. This suggests that, despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, respondents see opportunities to improve how care is delivered throughout the patient journey.
“Canada does not have a shortage of breast cancer expertise. The gap is making sure that the latest research is consistently translated into plans for every patient,” Carson said.
“We know what more personalized, evidence-based care looks like. The next step is making it the standard across the country. Closing the gaps means connecting the full patient journey and ensuring that every Canadian can benefit from the innovations that are changing and saving lives.”
The survey findings reinforce a broader focus on integrating screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship rather than viewing them as separate stages of care. For Breast Cancer Canada, the objective is to support a healthcare approach in which evidence, clinical expertise and patient needs inform decisions throughout the breast cancer journey.
As research continues to advance understanding of the more than 50 types of breast cancer, the organization is calling attention to the importance of ensuring that these advances translate into consistent and personalized care for patients across Canada.
About Breast Cancer Canada
Breast Cancer Canada is a national charity dedicated to saving lives through breast cancer research. As the only national organization with a clear mandate to fund research, advocate, and educate on precision oncology. Learn more at breastcancer.ca.
About the Survey
These findings are from a national survey conducted by Angus Reid Group on behalf of Breast Cancer Canada from September 15th to September 17th, 2026, among a representative sample of 1,501 online adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.