We have never been so aware of breast cancer screening. Unfortunately, under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest data show that the participation rate in the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program decreased by 29% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
Posted at 2:00 p.m.
It is important to remember that this situation can have serious consequences when mammography is still the only screening examination that can reduce the number of deaths attributable to breast cancer. This is why, with the resumption of screening activities, catch-up efforts are being made at all levels to encourage women aged between 50 and 70 to resume the habit of an annual screening appointment. But how can we do more?
The health crisis is not the only obstacle that hinders screening. Indeed, after more than 25 years of experience as a radiologist, I have heard a multitude of fears or false beliefs that still persist today and that threaten the health of many women. “It’s extremely painful; at my age, no longer necessary to do a mammogram; no one in my family has had breast cancer, so I don’t need it; my breasts are small, if I had a mass I would feel it”.
Having myself survived breast cancer and having accompanied my father through this same disease when less than 1% of all these cancers affect men in the country, I know only too well that the efforts prevention measures that have been deployed to date, as impressive as they are.
Of course, mammography has its limits, but all in all, it can reduce the number of deaths and, often, detect the disease quickly in order to avoid treatment with chemotherapy.
Women’s fears are legitimate and must be addressed. This is why the Association des radiologistes du Québec has set up the Mammo.ca website.which allows them to get the facts on the myths and realities surrounding this exam.
What’s more, new advances in the screening trajectory now make it possible to reduce the wait between the initial examination and the follow-up in the event of detection of an anomaly, which greatly contributes to reducing the anxiety that patients may experience. women in this type of situation.
It is for these reasons that, as Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, we would like to encourage continued dialogue around this disease, the options available to prevent it, and what concerns women in this important stage of their life.