About | Dense Breasts Canada | Awareness and Advocacy.

Dense Breasts Canada (DBC) is a non-profit organization, founded in 2016. DBC is made up of dedicated individuals and healthcare professionals who are committed to raising awareness and advocating for optimal breast cancer screening.

Our Goals: Awareness and Advocacy

To increase awareness among the public and healthcare professionals of the risks associated with dense breasts and the importance of screening, starting at age 40 and continuing past 74.

To convince provincial screening programs to provide supplemental screening to women with dense breasts.

To convince the federal government to revise dangerous breast screening guidelines and reform the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

Why we are seeking change.

Optimal breast screening matters: With 30,000 women diagnosed every year in Canada with breast cancer and 5500 deaths, we must do better to ensure all Canadians have the best chance to find cancer early. The status quo has to go.

Early detection of breast cancer saves lives and improves quality of life. Five year survival when diagnosed at Stage 1 is 99.8 percent, but at Stage 4 it is 23%. Early detection also can mean a better chance to avoid chemotherapy, mastectomy and axillary dissection. Canadians need optimal breast cancer screening: annual screening from age 40-49; screening every 1-2 years from age 50 and past 74, as long as a woman is in good health; and additional screening for women with dense breasts.

Breast density matters: Plus de 3 millions de femmes au Canada, âgées de plus de 40 ans, ont des seins denses. DBC souhaite sensibiliser les femmes à l'importance de connaître et de comprendre la densité de leurs seins afin qu'elles puissent être proactives dans la réduction de leur risque et qu'elles puissent également avoir des discussions informées avec leurs fournisseurs de soins de santé.

Meet Our Executive

Jennie Dale

JENNIE DALE
Cofondatrice, la directrice exécutive

Jennie is the Executive Director of Dense Breasts Canada (DBC). She volunteers full time for DBC. She lives in Ontario. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.

She was inspired by the successful advocacy efforts of American organizations, areyoudense.org and densebreast-info.org and Joan Lunden's book "Had I Known." In 2016, Jennie was introduced to Michelle Di Tomaso and both felt strongly that it was wrong to withhold potentially lifesaving information about breast density from women. They founded DBC and as they learned about additional injustices and inequities in breast cancer screening in Canada, the goals and mission expanded. DBC raises awareness and advocates for optimal breast cancer screening.

Jennie teamed up with breast cancer survivors and experts nationwide to advocate for optimal breast screening for all Canadians. Together, they have successfully advocated for almost 20 changes in breast screening practices in provinces and territories.

Successful advocacy has resulted in density notification across the country and many provinces lowering the screening aged from 50 to 40. It has also resulted in an increase in supplemental screening.

Advocacy continues on these goals: all individuals with dense breasts are provided supplemental screening; all individuals are able to self- refer at 40; all individuals in good health are able to self-refer past 74.

Jennie is a firm believer that your postal code should not determine whether breast cancer is detected early.

Jennie collaborates with Canada's leading breast screening experts in advocating on a federal level and meets with Ministers, MPs, and government officials regularly to advocate for necessary revisions to the harmful Canadian Task Force breast cancer screening guidelines and reform of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. They have seen great progress with the Health Minister and all political parties denouncing the 2024 draft guidelines.

Jennie has testified to the Federal Health Committee about breast cancer screening and written numerous briefs. She has published in the Journal Current Oncology. Jennie has also joined forces with experts in many specialties who share similar concerns about their guidelines and is a member of the Coalition for Responsible Health Care Guidelines. She is also a member of the Patient Engagement Working Group for the Canadian Society of Breast Imaging and a patient partner advisor on research being performed at Sunnybrook Hospital.

In 2021, Jennie was named a top 5 finalist in Charity Village's awards in the category of Most Outstanding Impact by a Volunteer.

Michelle Di Tomaso

MICHELLE DI TOMASO
Cofondatrice

Michelle est cofondatrice de Seins Denses Canada. En août 2014, elle a reçu un diagnostic de cancer du sein triple positif, stade 2B. Au cours des deux années qui ont suivi, elle a subi deux opérations, des traitements de chimiothérapie (AC, Taxol et Herceptin) et de radiothérapie, une mastectomie bilatérale et trois chirurgies de reconstruction mammaire ratées. Elle a été hospitalisée pendant 25 jours.

Michelle a été informée que son diagnostic de cancer avait été retardé de trois ans, parce qu’elle avait des seins denses. Si le cancer avait été dépisté plus tôt, le traitement aurait probablement été limité à la chirurgie.

Michelle is from British Columbia, the first Canadian province where advocacy resulted in density notification to all women, in 2018. In 2019, Michelle continued to advocate successfully to ensure that women in British Columbia with dense breasts had the ability to access screening ultrasound, now paid for by MSP.

After 8 years of successful advocacy, the DBC team's efforts have resulted in all provinces making policy changes regarding density notification. NL will be the last to implement this summer. Michelle is advocating to ensure that women with dense breasts get access to the additional screening they need.

Congratulations to Michelle on being awarded the YWCA Metro Vancouver Woman of Distinction Award 2024 for the Community Champion Category.

Dr. Paula Gordon

Paula B. Gordon, OBC, MD, FRCPC, FSBI

Conseillère médicale

Dre Paula Gordon est professeure clinique au département de radiologie de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique. Elle est directrice du Sadie Diamond Breast Program du BC Women’s Hospital.

Durant les années 80, ses recherches sur les biopsies mammaires sous guidage échographique ont permis à cette technologie de devenir la norme de soins au travers le monde. Cette intervention a permis possible le diagnostic exact des masses au sein qui exigeaient antérieurement une intervention et a permis aux femmes d’éviter la chirurgie pour les anomalies non cancéreuses.

Au cours de sa carrière, Dre Gordon a publié 30 articles dans des revues à comité de lecture. Son travail de recherche au début des années 1990 était le premier à démontrer que l’ultrason pouvait détecter les cancers non détectés par les mammographies. Ceci a engendré un changement de paradigme dans la gestion du dépistage chez les femmes aux seins denses qui a débuté aux É.-U. en 2009, et qui s’étend maintenant au Canada, au Royaume-Uni, en Australie et en Europe.

En 1996, elle a été membre du groupe de travail d’experts du centre de santé des femmes de la C.-B. pour un programme pilote au sujet de l’évaluation et de diagnostic mammaire. Depuis, elle a été directrice médicale du Sadie Diamond Breast Program de 2007 à 2019. Au cours de cette période, elle a obtenu des fonds de la fondation Diamond et de l’autorité provinciale de services de santé en vue d’acquérir la première technologie de tomosynthèse (mammographie 3D) en C.-B. et créer la bourse de recherche d’imagerie du sein de Vancouver dans le but de former les leaders du futurs de ce domaine. Elle a fait en sorte que les stagiaires puissent alterner entre le centre de soins de santé de la femme de la C.-B., l’organisme du cancer de la C.-B. et le bureau de Dre Warren et associés afin d’assurer leur exposition à de multiples experts. En raison de la réputation du programme, elle a également formé des boursiers auto-financés d’autres provinces, des É.-U. et du Moyen-Orient

Avec l’acquisition de la tomosynthèse, Dre Gordon a permis à la ville de Vancouver de figurer parmi l’un des premiers sites canadiens à se joindre au TMIST : the tomosynthesis mammographic imaging screening trial (essai sur le dépistage du cancer du sein par imagerie de tomosynthèse mammaire), un essai multicentrique financé par la FDA. Ceci lui a permis de donner des centaines d’heures bénévoles en participant à la planification et à la préparation du procès en tant que site principal canadien.

Dre Gordon est très appréciée pour son mentorat d’étudiants en médecine, des résidents en radiologie et des boursiers en imagerie du sein, ainsi que pour l’enseignement qu’elle offre à ses patients individuels et au public. Elle est une éducatrice populaire lors d’ateliers pratiques à la société de radiologie d’Amérique du Nord, où les radiologues apprennent à effectuer des biopsies à l’aiguille et d’autres interventions avec échoguidage, et ce, chaque année depuis leur introduction en 1993.

Conférencière, modératrice et membre de comité très recherchée, elle a été invitée à présenter durant des centaines d’exposés à l’échelle locale, nationale et internationale, et a également participe à des groupes scientifiques au travers l’Amérique du Nord.

Elle agit à titre de bénévole et de rélectrice de plusieurs revues médicales, ainsi que de conseillère bénévole pour Seins Denses Canada, un groupe de défense des droits des patients et à un site Web éducatif : Dense Breast Info (infos sur les seins denses).

Avec ses collègues de partout au Canada, elle a été membres fondateurs de la Société canadienne de l’imagerie mammaire.

Dre Gordon a joué le rôle de bénévole et de présidente pour des dizaines de comités :

· Membre, Lower Mainland Innovation and Integration Fund Committee for Breast Health
· Présidente, Early Detection Committee, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation 2020 Project
· Présidente, Early Detection Committee of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Division,
· Membre, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Breast Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment Clinic Advisory Board
· Présidente, Academic Committee of the Screening Mammography Program of British Columbia,
· Coprésidente, Workforce Committee of the Provincial Breast Health Strategy et membre des Steering, Clinical Pathway and Prevention Committees of the Provincial Breast Health Strategy
· Membre, Provincial Radiology Expert Committee et rélectrice pour le Canadian Association of Radiology Mammography Accreditation program
· Rélectrice des directives des pratiques cliniques pour le American College of Radiology
· Rélectrice des directives des pratiques cliniques pour la Canadian Association of Radiologists
· Membre, UBC Radiology Advisory Committee

En plus de consacrer tout son temps à l’amélioration de la santé des seins, elle est également administratrice du conseil Canucks for Kids Fund depuis 2006.

En reconnaissance de ses contributions dans domaine de l’imagerie mammaire, elle a été nommée boursière de la Society of Breast Imaging, une société du American College of Radiology en plus d’être bénévole pour son conseil d’administration.

Ses autres prix et distinctions incluent :

Officer, Order of Canada

• Prix du Canadian Heads of Academic Radiology Development

BC Children?s and Women?s Hospital Award of Excellence in Education

• Prix en éducation Killam de l’Université de la Colombie Britannique

• Médaille du jubilé de la Reine Elizabeth II

• Ordre de la Colombie Britannique

Honorary alumnus award from the UBC Medical Alumni Association.

• Prix du réseau du Women’s Executive Network nommer une des 100 femmes les plus influentes et pionnières au Canada

• Nommée une des meilleures spécialistes au Canada pour la détection et diagnostic du cancer par le Ministère de la condition féminine, a l’occasion de la journée international de la radiologie

Best Teacher ? UBC Radiology Residents

2022 Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Prix d?excellence ? Specialist of the Year award, Region 1

UBC Radiology 2022 Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Research/Discovery/Innovation

https://newsroom.royalcollege.ca/a-specialist-renowned-for-outstanding-patient-care-and-advocacy-in-the-community/

TWITTER HANDLE @DrPaulaGordon

Karen Goldenberg

Karen Goldenberg

Dense Breasts Canada announces Karen Goldenberg, CM, O.Ont Honourary Patron

Dense Breasts Canada is delighted to name Karen Goldenberg Honourary
Patron. Karen has worked tirelessly throughout her life to improve lives in
both the health and social service sectors. Karen is a recipient of both
the Order of Ontario and Order of Canada. Known as a compassionate and
strategic thinker, Karen is a change maker who led JVS Toronto and founded
COTA. She has had numerous roles in the health sector. Her affiliation with
Dense Breasts Canada has been ongoing.

Karen is delighted to be an Honourary Patron of Dense Breasts Canada: ?I am
acutely aware of the need for proper screening of all women 40 and up. But
what drew me to Dense Breasts Canada was the fact that so many women?s
cancers were going undetected simply because of dense breast tissue. DBC has
advocated successfully to ensure proper notification to women with dense
breasts. The next step will be making ultrasound available to those who
require it. I applaud this mission and am happy to be associated with it.?

Annie Slight

ANNIE SLIGHT
Director, Advocacy and Education, Quebec

Annie is the Director of Advocacy and Education in Quebec. She lives in Montreal. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2013 at age 42. After a normal mammogram, Annie discovered a lump six months later. As a breast cancer survivor, she feels strongly about giving back and advocating for women. She also is passionate about ensuring that women receive information about their breast density so that they can make informed healthcare decisions. Annie began working with DBC in 2018. For the past five years, Annie has been raising awareness through numerous interviews in the media, actively spreading the word on social media and speaking to women at events. She has been advocating intensively for policy change.

Quebec was the first province to make it mandatory to include breast density information in the mammogram report sent to the doctor. However, doctors are not relaying the density information to women and most women do not know to ask their doctor. The government committed to providing the density category in the Health Booklet in 2021, but this is not enough. Annie continues to advocate so that all women in Quebec will be told their breast density in their mammogram results letter, as is being done in other provinces. She is also advocating for screening at age 40 in Quebec, one of the last provinces to lower the screening age.

Joan Bush

JOAN BUSH
Advisor

Joan Bush has served in a variety of capacities: as a Director of The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, a Director of Canada-Rwanda Board of Trade, member of the International Women's Forum (IWF) executive, and a board member of the Yee Hong Wellness Foundation, which supports culturally and linguistically appropriate care for over 15,000 seniors from different ethnic communities. She is also a member of the Women for Nature Initiative.

She has also served two terms as a governor on the Board of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. In 2012, Joan became a recipient of Queen?s Diamond Jubilee for her outstanding community service. As a Director of the Kiani Foundation, she has contributed extensively to the community through numerous charities including hospitals, scholarships, youth education, and women?s shelters.

Joan is passionate about raising awareness of the risks of dense breasts and ensuring that women across Canada understand their density and the importance of additional screening. She understands the significance of dense breasts from her own personal experience when an additional cancer was masked by dense tissue and only seen on MRI.

Eevin-Leigh Schlamp

EEVIN-LEIGH SCHLAMP
Graphic Design

Eevin-Leigh is a contemporary artist who lives in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia. Her professional background is in Marketing, Advertising and Graphic Design. ?In 2020, I set out in search of a place where my contributions would feel more meaningful,? and that summer she met the co-founders of Dense Breasts Canada, Jennie Dale and Michelle Di Tomaso. ?When I first spoke with Jennie and Michelle I knew I had found a network of women who were passionately advocating to make better changes for women?s breast health across Canada. They rally with that same passion every day, relentlessly fighting for better breast screening and necessary revisions to the current Canadian Task Force breast cancer screening guidelines, which put Canadian women?s lives at risk.?

Dense Breasts Canada has made great progress in educating and advocating for Canadians, and Eevin-Leigh continues advocating by volunteering her creativity as a designer for their social media pages. She designs social media content and assists with marketing and administration.

As a wife, and mom of two children, she knows that moms are always busy looking after their family, and more often than not, they don't make time for their own health. ?I want my designs to inspire hope and courage for other Canadian moms out there to take the initiative to get a mammogram at 40 and understand their breast density.

Dr. Victoria Gay

Dr. Victoria Gay
Strategy Consultant

Dr. Victoria Gay is an Executive Consultant driving growth in organizations that are building a better world. Victoria has a PhD from University College London and 15 years? experience in research, strategy, and innovation, across multiple sectors.

She has worked across in women?s health in both a research capacity and as the Senior Director of Strategy at BC Women?s Health Foundation. In her three years at BCWHF, Victoria was instrumental in driving the BC Women's Health Foundation from a foundation that served BC Women's Hospital to a provincial foundation dedicated to improving women's health. She led the Research, Innovation, Education + Awareness portfolios and associated strategic partnerships, and was heavily involved in the Foundation's advocacy efforts to encourage transformational investments in women?s health research, policy, and practice.

She volunteers with Dense Breasts Canada as both a passionate advocate for women?s health and an experienced non-profit consultant.