B.C. patients worry as breast cancer screening wait times climb [Video]

Over the course of her life, Marliese Dawson, now 51, has seen five family members get diagnosed with breast cancer. 

So since her mid-30s, Dawson has been diligent about undergoing breast cancer screening. Because she has dense breasts, which puts her at heightened risk, she undergoes alternating diagnostic mammograms and screening ultrasounds every six months on the advice of her family doctor and radiologist.

But her most recent attempt to book an appointment left Dawson concerned that a backlog of breast imaging appointments in B.C. will delay the screenings she’s undergone for years. 

First, her diagnostic mammogram was delayed from October to December due to a lack of available appointments. When she called to book her screening ultrasound for June, she was told they could only book four months in advance. And when she called in the beginning of March, she was told the earliest available slot was December — …