It’s never this obvious.

Breast CancerScreeningFind out when it is the right time for you to start screening.

A healthy lifestyle may reduce your risk for breast cancer:

• Maintainahealthybodyweight,especiallyaftermenopause

• Bephysicallyactive

• Havenomorethanonealcoholicdrinkperday,ifatall

• Beanon-smokerandavoidsecond-handsmoke

• Limityourtimeonhormonereplacementtherapy,ifused

• Talktoyourhealthcareproviderforinformationaboutscreeningwithmammography.

Regularmammography,generallyeverytwoyears,isthebestwayformostwomenages50to74tobeproactiveabouttheirbreasthealth.

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Breast Cancer and YouTheriskofbreastcancerincreaseswithage,with61percentofcasesoccurringinwomenages50to74.Mostwomendiagnosedwithbreastcancerdonothaveasignificantfamilyhistoryofthedisease.

Itisestimatedthateveryyear10,100Ontariowomenwillbediagnosedwithbreastcancerandthat1,900willdiefromthedisease.Earlydetectioncanreducethenumberofdeaths.

Women at high risk for breast cancer

Somewomenareatanincreasedriskofdevelopingbreastcancer.Womenages30to69areconsideredtobeathighriskif:

• Theyhaveageneticmutationthatputsthemathighriskforbreastcancer

• Theyhaveaparent,siblingorchildwhohasageneticmutationthatputsthemathighriskforbreastcancer

• Theyhaveafamilyhistorythatindicatesalifetimeriskofbreastcancerthatisgreaterthanorequalto25percentconfirmedthroughgeneticassessment

• Theyreceivedradiationtherapytothechestbefore30yearsofageastreatmentforanothercancerorcondition(e.g.Hodgkinlymphoma)

TheOntarioBreastScreeningProgram(OBSP)recommendsthatwomenbetweentheagesof30and69whoareathighriskforbreastcancergetscreenedwithannualmammographyandbreastmagneticresonanceimaging(MRI).IfMRIisnotmedicallyappropriate,ascreeningbreastultrasoundmaybegiveninstead.

Womenathighriskhaveagreaterestimatedlifetimeriskofdevelopingbreastcancer(upto85percent)thanthegeneralpopulation(10percentto12percent).

Take the next step

Speaktoyourdoctorornursepractitioneratyournextregularvisitabouttherightscreeningattherighttime.

It is easy to get screened

Womenages50to74can:

• ContactanyOBSPsitetomakeanappointment.Gotocancercareontario.ca/obsplocations

OR

• Contacttheirhealthcareproviderandgetreferredtoabreastscreeningsite.

Womenages30to69whothinktheymaybeathighriskforbreastcancercan:

• Visittheirfamilydoctorforareferralforscreeningbasedontheirfamilyormedicalhistory.

BLEED

Visitcancercareontario.ca/obsp

Find out more:

• ServiceOntario:1-877-234-4343TTY1-800-387-5559

• TelehealthOntario:1-866-797-0000TTY1-866-797-0007

• OntarioBreastScreeningProgram:cancercareontario.ca/obsp 1-800-668-9304

AmammogramisanX-raythatcandetectabnormalitiesinthebreast,evenwhentheymaybetoosmallforyouandyourdoctorornursepractitionertofeelorsee.

Atechnologistspecializinginmammographywillplaceawoman’sbreastonaspecialX-raymachine.Aplasticplatewillbepresseddownslowlytoflattenthebreastandholditinplaceforafewseconds.Therewillbesomepressureonthebreast,similartoatightbloodpressurecuff,forafewsecondsduringtheX-ray.Thispressuredoesnotharmthebreasttissue.

Twopicturesaretakenofeachbreast.Formostwomen,thetimeittakestogetamammogramislessthan10minutes.Thetechnologististrainedtoensurethattheexperienceisascomfortableaspossibleandwillbeabletoadjustthepressureifnecessary.

Formostwomen,mammogramresultswillbenormal.Inthecaseofanyabnormalities,mammogramsarethebestwaytodetectbreastcancerearlyevenbeforethereareanynoticeablesymptoms.

How effective are screening mammograms?

• Mammographyisthemosteffectivescreeningapproachfortheearlydetectionofbreastcancerformostwomen.Earlydetectioncanreducedeathsfrombreastcancerbecause:- Thereisabetterchanceoftreating

thecancersuccessfully- Itislesslikelytospread- Theremaybemoretreatmentoptions

• Screeningtestsarenotperfectandcancersmaybemissed.Also,somecancersdevelopinthetimebetweenscreens.Theseareamongthemanyreasonsthatregularscreeningisimportant.

• Somebreastcancersthatappearonamammogrammayneverprogresstothepointwhereawomanhassymptomsduringherlifetime.Therefore,somewomenmayhavesurgeryortreatmentforabreastcancerthatwouldneverhavebeenlife-threatening.

• Notallcancersfoundatscreeningcanbetreatedsuccessfully.However,regularmammogramsforwomenages50to74canreducetheriskofdyingfrombreastcancer.

Some helpful hints to prepare for a mammogram:

• Mostwomen’sbreastsaretendertheweekbeforeandaftertheirperiod.Bookyourmammogramforatimewhenyourbreastsarenotsotender.

• Somewomentakeamildpainreliefpill,likethekindyouwouldtakeforaheadache,aboutonehourbeforetheappointment.Onlydothisifitwillnotaffectanyothermedicinesoranyhealthconcernsyoumayhave.

• Someexpertssaythathavinglesscaffeine(likecoffee,teaorotherdrinkshighincaffeine)fortwoweeksbeforeyourmammogramcanhelpreducetenderness.

• Onthedayofthemammogram:- Wearatwo-pieceoutfit.Youwillbeasked

toremoveyourtop.- Donotusedeodorants,antiperspirants,

bodylotions,ortalcumpowders.MetalsintheseproductscanshowupontheX-raypicture.

BreastcancercanbeimpossibletoseeorfeelandisthemostfrequentlydiagnosedcancerinOntariowomen.Thegoodnewsis,regularbreastcancerscreeningcanfindcancerearlywhenitmaybesmallerandeasiertotreat.That’swhyregularbreastcancerscreeningattherighttimeissoimportant.

Itisrecommendedthatmostwomenages50to74getregularbreastcancerscreeningwithmammographyeverytwoyears.Womenwithafamilyhistoryofcancerorotherriskfactorsareatanincreasedriskofdevelopingbreastcancerandshouldspeaktotheirdoctorornursepractitioneraboutwhentheyshouldbeginscreening.

Regardlessofherage,anywomanwhonoticeschangeswithherbreastsorhasconcernsshouldseeherfamilydoctorornursepractitioner.Mostchangesarenon-cancerous,butshouldbecheckedrightaway.

Mammography

Breast Cancer ScreeningBreast Awareness

Contactyourdoctorifyounotice:• Alumpordimpling,• Changesinyournippleorfluidleakingfrom

thenipple,• Skinchangesorrednessthatdoesnot

goaway,or• Anyotherchangesinyourbreasts.