Breast cancer screening is being taken to the next level in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

This week, the Group Health Center announced that a new mammography unit with upgraded imaging services is now operational.

Valued at $300,000, the reproduction unit is equipped with the latest technology to use low-dose X-rays to produce clearer, more detailed images.

The product is designed to support more accurate screening and ultimately earlier detection of breast cancer for the 6,000 patients expected to use it each year.

Group Health Center CEO Lil Silvano said the enhanced technology will reduce the need for follow-up appointments and open up the opportunity for more people to get tested.

Since there are only two locations in Sault where patients can receive mammograms: Group Health Center and Sault Regional Hospital, Silvano said it is important to have the opportunity to expand the availability of services.

“That’s the biggest benefit,” she said. “Otherwise people [in the region] I have to travel to Sudbury and Hearst, so having this advanced technology is really helpful. ”

“It also reduces a lot of stress for patients who get the call that they need another mammogram.”

Breast cancer advocates have praised the upgrades, including local breast cancer survivor Karen Brunetta.

She was diagnosed in 2020 after undergoing a routine mammogram.

“More and more young people are getting breast cancer, so it’s really good to be able to help these people,” Brunetta said.

Shortly after the pandemic, Brunetta started a group called Breast Friends Sault Ste. Marie, which brings together local people living with or who have experienced breast cancer.

In addition to going out to dinner with each other every few weeks, the group raises money for the town’s many charities.

When Sioux Regional Hospital’s radiation therapy room shut down in 2024, Blessed Friends raised enough money to make 200 goodie bags for cancer patients traveling to Sudbury for treatment.

“I’m really happy that so many people have formed such great friendships,” she said. “For someone who’s been through it, it’s great to be able to have a conversation with someone who’s been through it.”

Residents do not need a referral to receive breast cancer screening at the Group Health Center. You also do not need to be a member of a group health center to access services.

It is recommended that women between the ages of 40 and 75 get tested once every two years.

“If I hadn’t had regular mammograms, I might not be here right now,” Brunetta said. “It’s really important to keep the conversation open with everyone.”

Group Health Center said the investment in the upgraded unit was made possible through generous community support, including matching donations of $150,000 from donors and local businesses.