On March 6, 2024 I spoke in the Nova Scotia Legislature about the need for follow up screening for people with dense breasts. Here’s what I said:
Mme Speaker, I rise today to call on the government to change the policy regarding follow up breast screening for people with dense breasts. Currently in Nova Scotia, people with breast density category C or D (that is, the densest breasts), are made aware of their breast density rating. That means, that when they get a regular mammogram, any signs of cancer or other issues could be obscured by the dense breast tissue. The problem is that in NS, if someone has dense breasts, they don’t have access to screening that could detect cancers accurately and prevent spread of the disease. I represent a women, and probably many women, in this situation. Women whose cancer was undetected because they couldn’t get access to follow up breast screening, and was in stage 4 before they were diagnosed. Cancer, if detected early, has a much better chance of being defeated. A person’s quality of life is generally going to be better with less treatment. Cancer is cheaper to treat if detected early. It only makes sense that we offer followup screening to all people with breast density C and D. I urge the government to change this policy as soon as possible.