This is a long post, but stay with me to the end folks…this could save someones life. At a minimum, it could save them going through what I am going through.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women [1]. It is well established that early detection reduces breast cancer deaths [2]. Estimates indicate a nearly 40% breast cancer mortality reduction when screening women annually starting at age 40 [3].

Last night I worked on my blog page on Breast Density (still needs work, but it is a start ). The goal is to spread the word on the need for women to understand their breast density. Density is related to both cancer risk and the challenge of catching cancer at an early stage. Women with dense breasts, like myself, need more frequent scans. Mammograms alone don’t cut it since a tumour can be obscured (picture looking for a snow ball in a blizzard). Europe is way ahead in terms of the scanning protocol for women with dense breasts. The US finally got there in January 2018. Thirty states now have “density notification” laws requiring women to be informed of their breast density, many mandating that women be informed that additional screening can detect cancer not visible with mammography [10]. Unfortunately, Canada is WAY behind and women are at risk because of it. The challenge is our medical system is already so stressed!

The issue of dense breast tissue and its impact on both breast cancer risk and mammographic limitation is increasingly being featured in the media. In Canada the Dense Breast Canada is lobbying for change:

http://www.densebreastscanada.ca/

I don’t only want this blog to be an avenue for keeping friends and family informed of my journey. Nor just a cathartic outlet to help me deal with my many emotions and random thoughts. I also want to share information that can educate and help others. I am curious by nature and interested in a great many topics related to health so I figure this can be an opportunity to share what I have learned and continue to discover.

Ok, now that I have that off my chest (tee hee hee)… to get to my point:
Despite everything that I have explained, Canada is taking a step backwards. There are proposed changes to the breast screening program that will put more women at risk…

New guidelines anger breast cancer experts, saying more women may die. @JoanneCTV reports #ottnews https://t.co/zgfTIgaXwo

— CTV Ottawa (@ctvottawa) January 18, 2019

You can view this here as well:

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/breast-cancer-experts-urge-women-to-get-mad-over-new-breast-cancer-screening-guidelines-1.4258391

We need to take action to stop the changes proposed to the breast scanning program in Canada. We need to get involved. Please read the above article, watch the video and share with friends and family. Let’s stop these changes!!