Tribunal dismisses sex discrimination claim over lack of public funding for PSA screening tests.
The applicant alleged that the Ontario Ministry of Health discriminated against him on the basis of sex by refusing to fund a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test for prostate cancer, while funding mammography screening for breast cancer in women.
The Tribunal accepted expert medical and epidemiological evidence demonstrating that, unlike mammography, PSA screening for asymptomatic men has not been shown to reduce mortality and carries significant risks of over-diagnosis and harmful treatment.
The Tribunal concluded that the funding distinction is based on the medical efficacy of the respective screening tests and their consequences, rather than on the sex of the individuals being tested.
The application was dismissed.
Roger Cochrane v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario as represented by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, 2010 HRTO 1477
