October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Northeast Cancer Centre is encouraging women between the ages of 50 and 74 to talk with their family doctor or nurse practitioner about getting screened regularly with a mammogram.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in Canadian women, affecting 1 in 8 in her lifetime. Regular screening aims to detect cancer as early as possible, before symptoms appear.
“Early detection saved my life,” says 63-year-old Denise Morin. “I was screened at the Ontario Breast Screening Program in Sudbury and required further tests due to the results of my mammogram. The outcome was a diagnosis of a very aggressive type of breast cancer that was caught early and I was treated immediately. In my opinion, the program works and all eligible women should get screened.”
Every year, about 12,000 women in Ontario will get breast cancer and about 2,000 women will die from it. Breast cancer usually develops later in life, with over 83 per cent of cases being diagnosed in women over age 50.
“While we know regular screening is effective, we still have a lot of work to do to convince more women to get regular mammograms,” says Dr. Raveen Kaur, Regional Breast Imaging Lead for Northeastern Ontario. “Last year in northeastern Ontario, close to 100,000 women were eligible for screening, but only 63 per cent participated. We need to do better.”
Women, aged 50 to 74, who don’t have a family history of breast cancer and are at average risk should be screened every two years with mammography. Making an appointment is easy since a referral is not needed. Women can simply call 1-800-668-9304 to make an appointment at any of the 13 Northeastern Ontario Breast Screening Program locations or by going to www.cancercare.on.ca
Women who do have a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to discuss their screening options with their family doctor or nurse practitioner.
