Bridging the gap - breast cancer knows no borders
- October 2001
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the odds are that women in Canada have a one in nine chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. In the U.S. there is a one in eight chance. The good news is that early detection and new treatments are reducing the number of breast cancer deaths each year.
For that reason, the Niagara Health System has joined with many other health care agencies in Niagara and Western New York to form the International Breast Cancer Alliance, a new group dedicated to getting the message out about how women can protect themselves.
The fledgling group’s first initiative is an awareness event on Sunday, Oct. 21 in Niagara Falls called Bridging the Gap – Breast Cancer Knows No Borders. A wellness walk will take place at 10 a.m. to the Rainbow Bridge, with U.S. and Canadian participants meeting mid-point to exchange flags, form a human chain, and hear remarks and both national anthems.
After the walk, a Health Forum at Skylon Tower Plaza will begin at 11:30 with local and national presenters speaking on prevention and early detection. We will hear from breast cancer survivors, local physicians, healthy lifestyle initiatives, and Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) centres in Niagara.
The Niagara Health System is home to three (OBSP) centres, at the Greater Niagara General Site, St. Catharines General Site and Welland Hospital Site. The OBSP centres offer mammograms, screening, clinical breast examination, education and follow-up to women aged 50 and up, as well as those in high-risk categories.
"The beauty of the OBSP centres is that women can call and make an appointment for their screening, without having to go through their family physician," explained Bonnie Sipos, Regional Technical Director of Diagnostic Services for the NHS. "Our nurse examiners will explain to women how to conduct their monthly breast self-exam, do a clinical breast exam and are really there to answer any questions and provide education. We are fortunate to have excellent nurse examiners, who are sensitive to the issues, and friendly and caring to the clients coming through the screening program."
The three sites have been in operation for different lengths of time, but are not being as highly utilized by the Niagara community as they could be. "Over a 12-month period, we screened 6,845 women at our three sites, and while that number is growing every year, we could certainly be doing more," Bonnie said. "We are encouraging women to call our centres and make their appointment to see the nurse examiner and have a mammogram. After the mammogram is read by the radiologist, a letter is sent to the client and her physician. If there is a follow-up appointment required, we notify the client and/or her physician within 24 to 48 hours of her mammogram.
"Since our OBSP Centres opened (St. Catharines in Oct./1997, Niagara Falls in Oct./1999, Welland in Oct/2000) we have done about 13,500 screenings," Bonnie said. The population of women aged 50 to 74 in Niagara is 55,512 (1999 statistics).
"I am urging women over 50, as well as those with a family history and other risk factors, to contact their community OBSP centre today," Bonnie said. "Early detection of breast cancer is the key, and we need a mammogram to diagnose the presence of a cyst."