Advocate for yourself. You are your own best advocate.
Your healthcare provider may not be up-to-date on the risks of dense breasts. You are. Here's how to have a conversation with your provider.
You know that women with dense breasts face a higher risk of cancer and that cancer can be missed on mammogram because both dense tissue and cancer appear white. We have conversation tips for you. We outline in detail what to discuss with your doctor on Informez-vous under the section ?What If I Have Dense Breasts?? and the conversation tips can be found in our Advocacy ToolKit.
Your healthcare provider may not be aware that the decision to screen at 40 is a woman's decision based on her values and preferences, as stated in the breast screening guidelines made for health care providers. Yes, it is your choice.
No woman in Canada should be denied a requisition. If you live in a province where you cannot self-refer at 40, it is your decision to have a mammogram in your 40s. And it is highly recommended by experts to do so since 17% of breast cancers happen in the 40s and these cancers are more aggressive, fuelled by hormones. Check out the conversation tips for speaking with your health care provider about a mammogram starting at 40 in our Advocacy Toolkit.
Passez le mot
Parlez-en avec les femmes
Demandez à vos amies, votre famille, vos proches et vos collègues si elles ont déjà entendu parler des seins denses. Sinon, dites-leur pourquoi c’est important. Encouragez les femmes à s’informer sur leur densité mammaire. Les informations de chaque province sont disponibles en cliquant here.
Do you know women in their 40s? Please encourage them to start mammograms. Details on their importance on our our FAQ page. Do you know women 74+, please encourage them to continue screening. Read more at mybreastscreening.ca
Partagez votre histoire sur notre site
If your cancer diagnosis was delayed because you have dense breasts, or if you were denied a mammogram in your 40s, please share your story. We'd also love to hear about cancers being found early! Stories are empowering and impactful for others. Please email us: info@densebreastscanada.ca OR upload your story on our page here.
Joignez notre équipe
We are looking for members from every province to help us raise awareness and advocate for density notification. There is much to be done. There is no time commitment. We are looking for volunteers with expertise in marketing, communication, government relations, community engagement and social media.
Suivez-nous et partagez nos informations
Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share our posts. Visit our new website mybreastscreening.ca
Share with your healthcare provider: A list of studies on the importance of screening at 40
Passez à l’action
We have made great progress in Canada on breast density notification in the past two years. Currently BC, AB, MB, NS, NB and PEI are directly informing ALL women in their mammogram results letters mailed to them. ON, NL, and SK are implementing later in 2023. Healthcare providers are being told the patient's breast density. You can ask your provider if you are not in a province that currently informs all women. In QC, the information is online in each woman's health booklet. Advocacy continues for all women across Canada to be directly informed. We are getting there!
HOW DOES YOUR PROVINCE RATE ON 5 OPTIMAL BREAST SCREENING PRACTICES?
Check out our latest report Comparing breast screening practices across the country.
LETTERS TO POLITICIANS
Please see the footer for the letter for your province and please take a minute to send it in. Letters are also found in the Advocacy Toolkit. Please consider sharing the letter with your contacts. The more letters that get sent in, the more impactful. Your Health Minister's address is below.
Also, advocacy continues to ensure that women in Canada with dense breasts can access screening ultrasound and that women in all provinces can self-refer for a mammogram starting at age 40. Please contact us if you are interested in advocating with us.
We have launched a federal advocacy campaign. It is not a petition. Once you press submit, the pre-written email will immediately be sent to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and your MP. Your voice matters. Please join us in demanding immediate action to stop the needless deaths of the women in our lives.
