Tell us about your breast cancer story and please also tell us what you would like women WITHOUT breast cancer to know.
You can also choose to e-mail us your story at info@densebreastscanada.ca. Photos are welcome. Thank you for sharing your story and helping to inform other women.
Stories
Anne
Hello, My name is Anne Zakem. I was one of the 20,000+ Islanders without a doctor, until I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mammogram screening in March 2021 stated no indication of breast cancer, no detection of any abnormality suggestive of breast cancer. There was a note at the bottom of the report that…
Angie
In July 2021, I was diagnosed with triple positive Stage 2B breast cancer with one positive lymph node, at my first ever routine mammogram and ultrasound at age 40. I have a family history, so I was able to start screening at age 40 in Alberta. My surgeon and oncologist were unable to feel the…
Marilyn
Meet Marilyn. Becoming educated about the risks of dense breasts led to her being proactive and to her earlier diagnosis. Although it’s never a diagnosis one wants to hear, for me, while it seriously concerned me, was not devastating as the cancer was caught early. I have Jennie Dale and a friend Beverly to thank…
Anne
Since I was 40, I had a mammogram each year, which failed to detect any cancer. At 48, I felt a lump, which was determined cancerous by way of ultrasound and confirmed by biopsy. Once again a mammogram was performed, but with “C” density, the cancer was not visible. I was told that, based on…
Krista
When I found a lump in my breast one evening before going to bed, it knocked me to my knees. My husband had encouraged me to visit our family physician that week because of how unusually tired I was, although I had not recognized the changes in my own body. As soon as I felt…
Melissa
Sometimes during that time of the month I had irritated, burny nipples (which isn’t overly uncommon) but I started noticing that the right nipple stayed irritated longer than the left, and that the skin on my nipple was sometimes flaky. I figured it was just maybe an allergy to something. I went to my family…
Tina
Today is February 22, Dense Breast Awareness Day. Many women, including myself are completely unaware of the necessity of determining their breast density and how it relates to a potential cancer diagnosis. During my many mammograms, which started at 40, because of my family history, I was told that I had dense, difficult to read…
Natalie
In February 2019, I found a small lump – the size of a split pea – in my breast. I wasn’t particularly worried as I was only 46, which doesn’t even qualify me for a mammogram. In Alberta, you only start getting a mammogram every other year once you turn 50. It’s no wonder I…
Negar
In April 2020, I found a lump in my breast. Because of the global pandemic, I couldn’t see my family physician in person so I went to urgent care instead. When the doctor saw me, he told me that I should not worry as I don’t have any family history. I asked him to investigate…
