OBSP-cancer care

Screening helps find breast cancer early, but it is only one part of looking after your breast health. Understanding your personal risk, and knowing which risk factors you can change, is another. Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) offers a free tool that helps with exactly that: My CancerIQ. In just a few minutes, you can learn about your personal risk of developing breast cancer, and get practical steps to help reduce it. This guide explains how the tool works and summarizes the breast cancer risk factors Ontario Health describes. If you want to reduce breast cancer risk in Toronto, this guide is a good place to start, and it shows you how to book screening at Annex Medical Imaging.

Quick Summary

  • My CancerIQ is a cancer risk assessment website built by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario). It covers six types of cancer: breast, cervical, colon, kidney, lung and melanoma.
  • The breast cancer risk assessment takes less than 15 minutes and is designed for adults 40 and over.
  • You receive personalized suggestions for reducing your chances of developing cancer. You can save, print or email your results.
  • It does not predict whether you will get cancer, and it does not replace screening or advice from a health care provider.

What Is My CancerIQ?

My CancerIQ is a confidential, personalized cancer risk assessment website. You answer questions about things in your life that may affect your risk for a specific type of cancer, and the site turns your answers into a personalized action plan. If you are unsure why a question is being asked, you can click the Why is this important? links to see the reason. My CancerIQ was built by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) for people in Ontario.

Who Should Use the Breast Cancer Assessment?

The breast cancer questionnaire is designed for adults 40 and over. Ontario Health notes that everyone can benefit from learning more about their risk, but results may be less accurate for people who are under 40, live outside Ontario, or have already had cancer. Ontario Health also points people ages 40 to 49 who are deciding whether screening is right for them to the questionnaire as a helpful step. See Ontario Health’s ages 40 to 49 page for more.

What You Get When You Finish

  • Personalized results you can save, print or email to refer to later or share with your doctor.
  • Personalized suggestions on ways to reduce your chances of developing cancer.

Keep in mind that the tool does not predict whether you will get cancer. Think of it as a starting point for a conversation with your health care provider.

A note on privacy

Ontario Health collects personal information through My CancerIQ under Ontario privacy legislation and stores data on protected servers. If you choose to email your results, the email address you provide is used to deliver the report and is then securely destroyed. You are responsible for protecting any report you print or download. Review the privacy information on the My CancerIQ website before you begin if you have questions.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

According to Ontario Health’s breast cancer risk factors and risk reduction information, some risk factors are within your control and some are not. Select a tab to explore each group.

  • Alcohol: for breast cancer, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. Even small amounts can increase your risk. Alcohol may damage the DNA in cells or raise estrogen levels.
  • Smoking: cigarette smoke contains over 70 chemicals that are known to cause cancer, and there is no safe level of smoking. Cessation aids are available.
  • Adult weight gain: gaining body fat increases hormone levels, particularly estrogen, which can stimulate cell growth.
  • Physical activity: may reduce your risk by helping regulate hormone levels and preventing fat accumulation. Ontario Health’s guidance includes at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each week.
  • Diet: the evidence suggests that eating vegetables and fruits regularly may reduce risk, thanks to antioxidants and phytochemicals.
  • Prescription hormones: oral contraceptives can increase breast cancer risk, and the risk declines after they are stopped. Hormone replacement therapy, especially combined estrogen-progesterone formulas, also increases risk, and the risk falls after stopping. Do not stop these medications on your own. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Some risk factors are simply part of who you are. Knowing about them helps you and your health care provider decide how to approach screening.

  • Genetic variants: variants in genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53 and PALB2 increase risk. Genetic testing is recommended for people diagnosed at or before age 45, or with a strong family history.
  • Family history: closely related relatives with breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, especially diagnosed at a young age, can raise your risk.
  • Benign breast disease: some non-cancerous breast conditions increase risk.
  • Reproductive history: a later start to menstruation, earlier menopause, an earlier pregnancy or multiple pregnancies, and breastfeeding for a combined total of one year or more are linked to lower lifetime risk.
  • Breast density: higher breast density is linked with a higher risk of breast cancer.
  • Chest radiation: radiation to the chest before age 30 increases risk, and risk is higher if it happened during puberty.
  • Height and birth weight: being taller than about 5 feet 7 inches is linked to higher post-menopausal risk, and a higher birth weight is linked to slightly higher pre-menopausal risk.

Having a risk factor does not mean you will develop breast cancer. A personal risk assessment and a conversation with your health care provider can help you put these factors in context.

Quick lifestyle checklist
  • Reduce or eliminate alcohol.
  • Quit smoking, and ask about cessation aids.
  • Eat vegetables and fruits regularly.
  • Aim for a healthy body weight through portion control and activity.
  • Get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week.
  • Review any prescription hormones with your health care provider.

Risk Reduction Is Not a Substitute for Screening

Healthy habits lower your risk, but they do not replace mammography. Ontario Health recommends that people at average risk who choose screening have a mammogram every 2 years, and that people at high risk (ages 30 to 69, with a referral) be screened every year with mammography and MRI or, if MRI is not medically appropriate, breast ultrasound. If you are 40 to 74 and meet the criteria, you can book directly through the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) at 1-800-668-9304. Read more about breast cancer screening in Ontario.

Be Breast Aware

Ontario Health encourages everyone to know what is normal for their own breasts and to report changes to a health care provider immediately. Watch for:

  • a lump;
  • dimpling;
  • nipple changes;
  • redness; and
  • other skin changes.

Share My CancerIQ with Your Community

Ontario Health has a My CancerIQ digital toolkit with social media content, graphics, posters and postcards for health care practitioners and the public. Explore the My CancerIQ toolkit here. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, consider sharing the tool with a friend, family member or colleague who is 40 or older.

Related Reading

  • Breast cancer screening guidelines
  • When Should You Get Your First Mammogram in Ontario? OBSP Age & Eligibility Guidelines
  • What Is OBSP? A Complete Guide to the Ontario Breast Screening Program at Annex Medical Imaging

    • Frequently Asked Questions

    Is My CancerIQ free?

    Yes. My CancerIQ is a free online cancer risk assessment tool from Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario).

    How long does the breast cancer assessment take?

    Ontario Health says the assessment takes less than 15 minutes.

    Does My CancerIQ tell me if I will get breast cancer?

    No. It does not predict whether you will get cancer. It gives you personalized suggestions for ways to reduce your chances of developing cancer.

    Which cancers does My CancerIQ cover?

    Six cancers: breast, cervical, colon, kidney, lung and melanoma.

    Is there a safe amount of alcohol for breast cancer risk?

    Ontario Health states that for breast cancer, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and even small amounts can increase your risk.

    Can I share my results with my doctor?

    Yes. You can save, print or email your results to refer to later or share with your doctor.

    If my risk is low, do I still need mammograms?

    Risk assessment and screening serve different purposes. If you are 40 to 74 and eligible, discuss screening with your health care provider or a Health811 navigator, and follow the schedule that is right for you.

    Key Takeaways

    • My CancerIQ is Ontario Health’s free, confidential risk assessment tool, and the breast cancer questionnaire takes less than 15 minutes.
    • Reducing alcohol, not smoking, staying active, eating vegetables and fruit, and maintaining a healthy weight can help lower your risk.
    • Some risk factors, such as genetics and family history, cannot be changed and are important to discuss with your doctor.
    • Risk reduction does not replace screening. Book your mammogram through the OBSP if you are eligible.
    Helpful Links and Resources

    OBSP appointment booking line: 1-800-668-9304.

    Book Your Screening Mammogram in Toronto

    Ready to book, or have questions about your eligibility? Contact Annex Medical Imaging at (416) 531-1128, or call the OBSP Appointment Booking Line at 1-800-668-9304. Learn more about mammography (OBSP) at Annex Medical Imaging.

    Book Your Appointment

    This article is for general information only and is based on information published by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) as of September 2026. It is not medical advice. Screening recommendations can change, so please confirm current details with the Ontario Health links above and speak with your health care provider about your personal situation.

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