Breast Cancer

What is Breast Cancer?
Health Canada Reports that breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among Canadian women. Despite slight declines in death rates over the past decade for women with breast cancer, one in nine Canadian women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime; one in 25 Canadian women will die from this disease.

What are the Risk Factors?
Scientific researchers are not certain of the direct causes of breast cancer, but have identified some proven risk factors as well as others that are suspected or possible risks.
§ Being a woman - more than 99% of breast cancers occur in women
§ Increasing age
§ Country of birth/residence
§ Family history
§ Previous breast cancer
§ Breast density

Other Possible Risk Factors
It is important to remember that most breast cancers occur in women with no risk factors other than being a woman and increasing age. There is no proven method to prevent breast cancer but if it is found early, when it is very small, there is a good chance of a cure.

Research continues on other factors that may increase a woman’s overall risk of developing breast cancer. These possible risk factors include:

§ Early menstruation (before the age of 12)
§ Late menopause (after age 55)
§ Having a first baby after age 30 or never having a baby
§ Being physically inactive
§ Being overweight
§ Drinking too much alcohol
§ Taking hormone replacement therapy

Source: Ontario Breast Screening Program

For more information on risk factors and how to minimize your risk, visit Health Canada’s Information Page on Breast Cancer.

What is Breast Cancer Screening
Breast Screening includes: mammography and a physical examination of the breasts by a trained health care provider. Regular breast screening can find cancer when it is small enough that: there is a better chance of successful treatment; it is less likely to spread; and there may be more treatment options.

How Often Should I Be Screened?
A Screening Mammogram every two years is recommended for women between the ages of 50 and 69. Depending on the advice of a health professional and a woman’s personal risk factors, this recommendation may be adjusted.

The Ontario Breast Screening Program is a program of Cancer Care Ontario dedicated to providing specialized comprehensive breast screening services to women aged 50 years and over for the early detection of breast cancer.

Every woman is at risk for breast cancer and your risk increases with age. Seventy-five (75) % of all breast cancer occurs in women who are 50 years and older.

In Waterloo Region, we have four local Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) sites. You can book your own appointment for a free mammogram if you are 50 years or older. OBSP offers the following services for women aged 50 and older:

§ two-view mammograms
§ physical examination of the breasts (at most OBSP sites)
§ information on how to do breast self examination (BSE)
§ coordination with family doctors for follow-up and referrals
§ booking follow-up appointments when needed

Take a tour of an OBSP site and/or call to book a free Mammogram at any of these four local OBSP sites:

§ RDS Kitchener Phone: 742-7599
§ Grand River Hospital Phone: 749-4270
§ Cambridge Memorial Hospital Phone: 740-4999
§ RDS Cambridge Phone: 740-3736

For further information call: Region of Waterloo Public Health, (519) 883-2110 x5292.

Additional Resources

Breast Cancer Fact Sheets are available in 18 different languages.

Arabic	Farsi	Italian	Somali	Urdu
Chinese	French	Polish	Spanish	Vietnamese
Croatian	German	Punjabi	Tamil
English	Hindi	Serbian	Turkish

Visit the OBSP site to download these resources or contact 883-2256 for copies.

The City of Hamilton Public Health & Community Services offers a website featuring a Breast Cancer Awareness Quiz that you may wish to visit.

Links and Resources
Click here for more resources.

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Cancer Prevention and Screening