A new mobile breast cancer screening unit will begin visiting northern and rural communities across Saskatchewan in 2026, offering easier access to mammograms for women outside major urban centers.
The unit replaces an older mammography bus that served the province for more than 20 years and comes with modern upgrades, including a wheelchair lift and a new mammography machine. This specialized X-ray device is more efficient and uses lower radiation doses, 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 Chief Operating Officer.
Funding for the new mobile unit exceeded $2 million, raised by the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Kinsmen Foundation.
The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA) says the mobile unit will play a critical role in detecting breast cancer early.
“The earlier we can detect cancer, the more treatment options are available and the better the outcomes for patients,” said SCA president and CEO Deb Bulych. She added that around 75 per cent of breast cancers found through the BreastCheck program are diagnosed at an early stage.
The mobile unit currently performs roughly one-third of the province’s mammograms, screening about 7,800 patients in northern and rural communities each year.
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill called the unit “a significant step forward in improving access to screening mammograms for women across Saskatchewan.”
Currently, the unit visits 42 communities once every two years. A second mobile mammography unit, expected in 2026, will nearly double the program’s capacity. With two units, communities could be visited annually instead of biannually.
Bulych noted that demand may rise as the eligible screening age drops to 43 in January and to 40 later this summer. “We’re hopeful this will increase the number of appointments and women accessing screening,” she said.
The new mobile mammography unit is scheduled to make its first stop in Estevan on January 5, 2026.
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