Months-long waits for breast biopsies 'unacceptable,' says B.C. doctor
Three months after Kristina Tanner was told she needed a biopsy to determine if she had breast cancer, the procedure finally happened this week.
But the wait for the 69-year-old Vancouver resident, whose mother died of breast cancer three years ago, has been stressful.
“It’s very upsetting because it’s always hanging over you,” she said.
“You can’t help but think, what if it’s spreading as I speak?’”
Waits like the one Tanner faced have prompted Dr. Paula Gordon to sound the alarm – though it’s not something B.C.’s Ministry of Health appears interested in addressing.
Gordon, a clinical professor in UBC’s Department of Radiology, says wait times for breast biopsies are “unacceptable.”
“Of the biopsies I did this week, most of them were (waiting) in the 12- to 13-week range,” she said.
“It’s really unbearable for some women to wait any length of time, but months?”
While she said that for most women, a couple months doesn’t make a difference, for some, the time gap is critical.
“If people are waiting this long to get a necessary test when they might have a cancer – and it might even be a fast-moving cancer – then we clearly don’t have enough resources dealing with it,” she said.
Gordon is calling for more resources and more clinics to offer biopsies for patients waiting to rule our or confirm a breast cancer diagnosis.
“We’re really in trouble now, like so much else in the health-care system. They need to start working on a fix.”
CTV News began contacting the Ministry of Health Wednesday regarding the wait times. To date, the ministry has provided no response.
It’s expected that more than 4,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in B.C. this year. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Last year, Tanner needed surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells.
A mammogram in January raised new concerns and she’s been waiting for answers ever since.
Late Friday afternoon, Tanner finally received some good news: The biopsy determined the cells are benign.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.