Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I would like to thank Mr. Patrick Brown for asking me to speak to the Standing Committee on Health regarding Bill C-314, an act respecting the awareness of screening among women with dense breast tissue.
My mother passed away from breast cancer at age 72. Up until then I had heard of breast cancer but did not take much notice. I really took notice when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36 and passed away at 40, leaving children aged 17, 15, and 13. Her family had no history of this terrible disease.
Family and friends have spoken to me on many occasions regarding this terrible disease, and I have been able to help and guide individuals through their tough times.
Since my wife passed away from breast cancer, I have been involved with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as a donor and volunteer. Among other important parts of its mission, the foundation provides reliable, evidence-based information to help women make informed decisions about their breast health. I was fortunate enough to attend the world forum on breast cancer last June in Hamilton.
If Bill C-314 is passed, it will help to improve the quality of information provided to women as part of Canada's organized breast screening programs. This will help raise women's awareness about breast density and its implications for their health. If we could identify women with dense breast tissue, they could be monitored with regular breast cancer screening, and we would be in a position to detect and treat breast cancer earlier, when health outcomes, survival rates, and quality of life are usually better.
Collaboration and information sharing is essential between the Public Health Agency of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments through the Canadian breast cancer screening initiative. Let's enhance this sharing of information to benefit women's health. The passing of Bill C-314 would enhance knowledge and understanding of breast density screening, follow-up, and women's health outcomes.
The existing breast cancer screening programs in Canada differ somewhat province by province and from territory to territory. To improve women's health, the organized breast cancer screening programs should be uniform, offering all Canadian women access to the same services wherever they live.
Breast density increases a woman's chances of developing breast cancer. A woman with dense breasts has a three to six times greater risk of breast cancer than a woman who does not have dense breasts. Breast density is higher in younger women who have not gone through menopause. Given this, the women who most need our attention are those in the 40 to 55 age group.
Breast density is diagnosed by mammography. It cannot be diagnosed by touch. A woman's first mammogram will indicate whether she has dense breasts. For women diagnosed with breast density, regular screening by digital mammography or MRI as part of an organized screening program is recommended. Research shows that digital mammography is more effective than screen-film mammography at detecting breast cancer in dense breast tissue. Digital mammography is gradually replacing screen-film mammography in Canada.
Further research is required to better understand the biology of breast density and its role in the development of breast cancer. Further research is also needed to define measures of breast tissue density, optimal imaging modalities, and the frequency of screening.
Knowing about breast density is an important part of a woman's overall breast awareness. If multiple members of a woman's family have been diagnosed with dense breasts, she is encouraged to speak to a health care provider about having a mammogram to assess for breast density.
Women in their 40s, women who are 50 years plus and have not gone through menopause, and women with clinically diagnosed dense breasts are encouraged to ask to be referred to a facility with digital mammography to assess breast density and for regular breast cancer screening.
My wife was 40 when she passed away from breast cancer. She did not have access to the screening technology and knowledge that we have today. I ask you to consider Bill C-314 as a way to raise women's awareness about breast density, how it increases breast cancer risk, and the importance of screening to diagnose breast density and to monitor the breast health and breast cancer risk of women with dense breasts.
I thank the committee for letting me speak today.