MONTREAL – When a woman in Quebec turns 50, she gets an automatic prescription by mail for a mammogram.
The problem is the majority of women on the island of Montreal aren’t using the universal breast cancer screening program.
Montreal’s public health board is teaming up with cultural communities to try to encourage more women to get screened before it’s too late.
Quebec’s breast cancer screening bus, also known as Clara, was open to the public in Montreal North.
It’s a move to raise awareness about early breast cancer detection and screening.
“Screening can help detect cancer when it is very small,” said Dr. Linda Thibault, from the Quebec Breast Screening Program.
Women from various cultural organizations were invited to meet with medical professionals and take a closer look at the equipment used to detect breast cancer.
Some were even lucky enough to get a mammography in the mobile clinic.
“I hope I’ll have the courage to do it,” said Inaya Awada.
“I’m coming to see today and I should do it. I encourage everyone to do it after 50.”
The province already invites all women aged 50 to 69 for free breast cancer screening every 2 years, but after a recent assessment of the program , many women were either not getting the information or didn’t see the need for a mammography.
“We knew that within different areas in Montreal there were places where people were not taking advantage of the program,” said Dr. Richard Masse, Director of Montreal Public Health .
“Certain communities don’t have the information either.”
This is why many of the program’s documents will now be translated in several languages.
Montreal Public Health is now teaming up with doctors from different cultural communities to try to get more women to answer the call.
“If they have this information in their way – in an adapted way – so they can understand it in their own language, they can understand the importance of a mammogram,” said Dr. Marie-Helene Luly.
Yet, not all breast cancer activists believe mammographies are the ultimate solution.
“There is no screening that is perfect,” said Rosanne Cohen, Executive Director of Breast Cancer Action Montreal.
“There are drawbacks to mammography. It’s highly overrated.”
Cohen applauds the move to raise awareness within Montreal’s diverse ethnic communities but she warns mammographies can cause panic since she’s convinced some cancers are better left untreated.
“Many women are being treated for breast cancer because once they find it they’re going to be treated. So there’s a whole issue of over-treatment,” said Cohen.
Cohen says she would rather see more women get access to family doctors.
Dr. Luly agrees, pointing out that as hard it is for Montrealers to find a family doctor, it’s that much more difficult for new Quebecers.
“Sometimes they’re not aware of the concept of prevention,” said Luly.
“You go to the doctor because you’re sick or you feel something.”
Right now only 45 percent of women in Montreal are taking advantage of Quebec’s breast cancer screening program compared to 60 percent in the rest of the province.
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