Breast Cancer Canada has released its 2025 Annual Progress Report, highlighting advances in treatment, screening, and policy, while also identifying ongoing gaps in equitable access to care.
Key highlights from the report include the following:
- Seven new breast cancer therapies were approved by Health Canada and Canada's Drug Agency in the past year. However, the average time from approval to public access remains over 12 months.
- Through the REAL Canadian Breast Cancer Alliance, national expert clinicians have developed evidence-based treatment guidelines to ensure care across the country. Advocacy efforts in 2025 led to the recommendation of public funding access in provinces outside Quebec for therapy drugs.
- Federal guidelines still recommend starting breast cancer screening at the age of 50 for average-risk women. Breast Cancer Canada continues to advocate for accessible screening at the age of 40.
- Only 55% of Canadians report access to advanced treatments through clinical trials, with significant disparities across certain regions.
- Insights from Breast Cancer Canada’s national patient surveys reveal that 72% of patients feel unprepared to manage breast cancer recurrence risk.
The findings highlight the need for health policy that ensures ongoing, coordinated healthcare for breast cancer survivors after active treatment, the organization said.
The 2025 Annual Progress Report draws on national patient surveys, PROgress Tracker data, public opinion research, and expert clinical guidance. Read the full report here.
