Dense breasts increase the risk of breast cancer and increase the risk a cancer will be masked on a mammogram. Shouldn't all women have access to supplemental screening?

We've made amazing progress across the country! Women in BC, AB, MB, ON, NB, NS, PEI, YT, and NWT are getting their density category in the mail after their screening mammogram. In SK and QC, the information is online in your health portal. SK will add it to the letter once the system is upgraded. NL is completing a system upgrade to provide the information starting this summer. And that's the country!

Knowing and understanding your breast density can be life-saving. About 43% of women between the ages of 40 and 74 have dense breasts. Having dense breasts is normal; however, dense breasts pose a double whammy:

1. Women with dense breasts are at an increased risk of breast cancer.

2. Dense breast tissue can hide cancer on a mammogram. This is because both dense breast tissue and cancer appear white. It’s like trying to find a snowball in a snowstorm. In fact, women with dense breasts who receive an all clear mammogram may still have an undetected cancer. This means cancers are not detected until a later stage.

All women deserve the opportunity for an early stage diagnosis.

Women with dense breasts should have the chance to seek additional screening (e.g. ultrasound). Additional screening can increase detection of early stage breast cancer. Access to additional screening varies across Canada. This should not be the case.

A major barrier is the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. It recommends against additional screening. It does not follow current science. 5500 Canadian women will die this year from breast cancer. Lives can be saved if women with dense breasts are provided with additional screening.

We need breast screening guidelines to follow the science. Please click this link, sign and share.  THANK YOU!

https://densebreastscanada.ca/add-your-voice/

For more information on breast density please visit: www.densebreastscanada.ca www.mybreastscreening.ca