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Advancements in Women's Health

CBCN’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Goes Beyond the Basics

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Many of us are familiar with the basic breast cancer facts, such as the importance of mammograms, self-exams, and when to get screened. 

These steps are crucial for every woman to understand in ensuring the early detection of breast cancer. But there is much more to learn about this disease and its profound impact on those living with breast cancer, their caregivers, and their families. 

For instance, did you know that an estimated 20 to 30% of women who are initially diagnosed with early-stage (stages I to III) breast cancer eventually go on to be diagnosed with stage IV metastatic disease? Or that triple negative breast cancer, a subtype of breast cancer, is considered more aggressive and has fewer treatment options than other subtypes? 

Often, when we learn that someone has been diagnosed with breast cancer, we assume that life will return to normal once they’ve healed from surgery. Perhaps they’ll undergo a few rounds of chemotherapy and take medication like tamoxifen. After the immediate threat of cancer is surgically removed, it’s easy to believe they’ll move on to reconstruction and eventually feel like their old selves—if not better. Sadly, this is far from the reality for many women. 

The lesser-known aspects and far-reaching impacts of a breast cancer diagnosis often go unnoticed. Women facing this disease—and their families—can feel invisible and forgotten after the initial wave of gifts and well-wishes fades away. Meanwhile, those not directly affected tend to move on with their daily lives. It’s crucial that we shed light on the complexities of this disease, from the emotional toll to the financial burden, as well as the barriers to equitable care for marginalized groups. 

Although Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over, the Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) is committed to ensuring the best quality of life for people in Canada facing a breast cancer diagnosis all year round. Raising awareness does not stop when October ends and November’s cold weather sets in. This is why we launched the ‘Breast Cancer 102’ campaign, aimed at deepening the public’s understanding of breast cancer.  While October is typically associated with awareness around early detection and research, Breast Cancer 102 explores the lesser-known aspects and far-reaching impacts of a breast cancer diagnosis that often go unnoticed. 

Knowing more about the types of breast cancer, available treatments, and the overall impact a diagnosis can have on a person can prepare any woman who may face this disease in the future. Being informed can lessen the shock of an initial diagnosis, especially for those diagnosed facing more aggressive types of breast cancer, and it can help women already living with the disease feel a little less alone. 

Join the conversation and help CBCN expand the breast cancer narrative to create greater understanding and support for everyone impacted by this disease outside of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.


To see the often-untold stories and the unknown insights and facts that are associated with a breast cancer diagnosis, visit cbcn.ca.

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