New mobile breast cancer screening unit coming to northern and rural Sask. communities

WATCH: A new mobile mammography unit providing breast cancer screening to northern and rural communities across Saskatchewan is set to hit the road in 2026.

A new mobile mammography unit providing breast cancer screening to northern and rural communities across Saskatchewan is set to hit the road in 2026.

The unit replaces the previous mammography bus, which had been in service for more than 20 years.

The new mobile unit features upgrades including a wheelchair lift and a new mammography machine, a specialized X-ray that’s more efficient and uses lower doses of radiation, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

“It’s a very modern device, and it’s the same as what we have at our on-site locations in Saskatoon, Regina, and our regional hospitals,” said Derek Miller, SHA COO.

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More than $2 million was raised by the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Kinsmen Foundation to fund the new unit.

The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA) says the unit will play a key role in early detection.

“The earlier we can detect cancer, the more treatments are available and the better patient outcomes, because there are new treatments coming online for us to use all the time,” SCA president and CEO Deb Bulych told journalists Thursday.

Bulych said about 75 per cent of breast cancers diagnosed through the BreastCheck screening program are caught at an early stage.

The mobile unit conducts about one-third of mammograms in the province, screening roughly 7,800 patients in northern and rural communities each year.

“It’s a pretty significant step forward in terms of improving access for Saskatchewan women to screening mammograms right across the province,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said.

The mobile unit currently visits 42 communities once every two years. That number is expected to increase when a second mobile mammography unit, expected in 2026, becomes operational.

“The second mobile unit is super exciting for us. We’re almost going to double capacity, because instead of attending communities bi-annually, they’ll be attending them annually,” Bulych said.

Asked whether two units would be enough to meet demand, Bulych said it depends, noting screening age eligibility is set to drop to 43 in January and 40 later this summer.

“We’re hopeful that will increase the number of appointments and women coming through the system,” she said, adding the agency works closely with the SHA to manage capacity.

The mobile mammography unit is expected to make its first stop in Estevan on Jan. 5, 2026.