Â鶹´«Ã½

Health

    • Why doctors say breast cancer screenings need to happen at a younger age, especially for Black people

    Share

    When Patricia Russell was in her late 30s, she felt a lump in her breast. She knew the texture, the feel of the lump, was not normal.

    “I was at a stage in my life where I wanted to take charge of my health. But I wasn’t expecting (breast cancer), I wasn’t looking. As a matter of fact, I’m one of the women who said, ‘This will never happen to me,’†she said at a news conference Thursday.

    But after finding the lump, Russell began examining herself and found what felt like may have been a mass.

    “'This feels weird, this is not normal.' (But) I wanted to push it off,†she said. She fought that instinct and went to get examined, and ended up being diagnosed with breast cancer.

    Since that fateful day, Russell has survived two bouts with the disease. Now, she is part of a campaign launched this week with Toronto-based lingerie company Love & Nudes to not only raise awareness about breast cancer in Black people, but to urge the federal government to lower the age of breast cancer screening programs across the country to include those who are 40 years old so that more people of colour can have cancer detected earlier.

    Russell spoke at the news conference with other breast cancer survivors and doctors, who discussed health disparities and why Black people, who have worse outcomes when it comes to breast cancer, are being screened less for the disease and are up against a health-care system they say promotes resources that are centered on white people.

    Canada around breast cancer screening rates, but other Western nations have shown Black people have clear, poorer outcomes when it comes to breast cancer.

    In the U.S., Black women are 40 per cent more likely to die from breast cancer, and the figure has remained that high for over a decade, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

    As well, Black women younger than age 50 had a death rate that was twice as high as white women at that age, according to the ACS. The group states that screening rates have not increased and racial disparities in screening rates need to be addressed to fix the issue.

    According to 2021 data from the federal government and, cancer screening rates are lower for racialized people, who face multiple barriers to screenings, and late diagnosis results in poorer outcomes and a lower survival rates.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has also disproportionately impacted Black people due to structural racism and neglect of communities, meaning that these challenges to getting screened have likely been made worse, the report states.

    As well, the report notes that two-in-five Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, and about a quarter of all Canadians will die from cancer in their lifetime. For women in 2021, breast cancer was the most common cancer diagnosis, making up 25 per cent of the close to 111,000 cancer cases found in women that year. The Canadian Cancer Society also estimates about 15 women die of breast cancer per day in Canada.

    WHY BLACK PEOPLE HAVE WORSE OUTCOMES

    Love & Nudes, a lingerie company founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Chantal Carter, sells nude underwear that matches the skin tones of racialized women. Carter told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview Thursday that traditional “nude†colours in lingerie too often are designed with only white people in mind.

    This image provided by Love & Nudes shows the insert the lingerie company plans to provide to customers, to show how a cancerous lump could present on those with darker skin tones. (Love & Nudes)

    For the campaign on breast cancer, the company is planning to include an insert, in multiple skin tones, with purchases in the near future that has been made to mimic how a cancerous lump might look on a person of colour. For instance, the redness that could appear for those in lighter skin tones will not be present for the example meant to reflect Black people, said Carter.

    She said many people in her life have been impacted by breast cancer, and a close family friend died of the illnesses in her 40s.

    “When I discovered these statistics that Black women have a mortality rate that’s 40 per cent higher than white women, it reminded me of my brand and what it stands for: representation,†she said. “The face of cancer is not usually ours.â€

    The collection with the inserts has been named “Stage Zero†to highlight that awareness and prevention can help keep Black peoplefrom being given a fatal diagnosis, with the hope breast cancer can be caught earlier if screenings are encouraged.

    Dr. Mojola Omole, a Toronto-based surgical oncologist who is participating in the Love & Nudes campaignand helped design the insert, told CTVNews.ca via a phone interview Friday that issues with receiving a timely diagnosis are due to systemic barriers around getting screened and accessing care.

    “All women, and especially racialized women, should be screened at the age of 40 and it should be yearly. You can’t be afraid of what you might find out, because you don’t want to upstage your disease,†she said.

    The earlier the disease is caught, the more easily it can be treated, she said.

    Across mammography is used for screening for breast cancer with the goal of catching any signs or symptoms before the illness actually develops. 

    Self-referrals, meaning a person can decide on their own if they are ready for a screening, are possible in B.C., P.E.I., Yukon and Nova Scotia at age 40. Alberta allows for self-referral at age 45.

    In Alberta and the Northwest Territories, screenings are able to self-refer following their first breast cancer screening in your 40s and that initial screening requires a doctor’s requisition. 

    According to , the federal guidelines stipulate that Canadian women have the right to start screening at 40, a choice based on their values and preferences, but they're encouraged to have conversations first with their family doctors.

    The organization is advocating for federally and provincially for self-referral for all women starting at 40 and continuing after 74.

    Within Black communities, there can be stigma around discussing cancer due to fear, said Omole.

    “By ignoring it, it doesn’t go away,†she said.

    People are not always getting access to information about how detecting cancer early can give someone a better chance to return to their normal life, she said.

    There’s lots of misinformation online, and the health-care system doesn’t always target specific groups or address their concerns, she said.

    This image shows the inserts Love & Nudes plans to send to customers to highlight how a cancerous lump could appear on various skin tones. (Love & Nudes)

    Omole said inserts that show what a lump looks and fees likes, such as the ones being distributed by Love & Nudes,should be included in other spaces where people receive health care, even at their local pharmacy.

    “The images can be a really powerful thing. When you don’t feel included in the conversation, you just exclude yourself, you don’t think that is a possibility for you … you think, ‘That’s a white person’s disease,’†she said.

    “We don’t really educate people, that’s what’s needed in medicine in general,†she said.

    Correction

    This story has been updated to include more information on provincial screenings, and to clarify that women in Canada have the right to start screening in their 40s, based on their own values and preferences.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    Canada

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

    • The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province’s police watchdog.

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair’s family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale—Langley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city’s 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • Weather watchers were treated to an exceptionally rare display on Friday evening as rare cloud formations filled Vancouver skies.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada’s largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • One man was transported to hospital early Monday morning after a stabbing in the northwest end of the city, Toronto police say.

    • Calgarians will be observing Remembrance Day at a number of different ceremonies across the city, including at the Hangar Flight Museum.

    • Getting out to the mountains is even easier with a new bus route from a growing Germany-based service.

    • A home in the northeast Calgary community of Saddle Ridge was damaged in a fire on Sunday.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • With fewer interments and rising maintenance fees, the money for Canada's largest military cemetery will run out in three to four years.

    • Montreal Metro passengers can now flag a safety concern by texting a new phone number launched by the STM.

    • The employers association at the Port of Montreal locked out nearly 1,200 longshore workers, bringing a halt to traffic at the port.

    • LIVE @ 10:45 A.M. MT

      LIVE @ 10:45 A.M. MT

      Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      This is shaping up to be one of the warmest Remembrance Days in the past decade, at least, for temperatures.

    • Maritimers will stop Monday to remember those who have served, and continue to serve, in Canada's armed forces for Remembrance Day.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother’s death, during the Second World War.

    • Thousand of people gathered at the Menin Gate in the Ypres, Belgium for Monday’s Remembrance Day Ceremony.

    • Remembrance Day is today, and a number of ceremonies are taking place around the province to honour those who gave their lives to serve our country.

    • A pillar in Canada’s history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book ‘War Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.’

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • Three people were taken to hospital after a plane crashed in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex.

    • A Barrie man is at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Environment Canada issued a weather alert for Barrie, Collingwood and surrounding areas, alerting residents about the wicked winds that are expected to pick up to 80 kilometres per hour in the afternoon hours.

    • Barrie residents gathered on Monday to honour Canada’s veterans and pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed for the country.

    • Representatives of the Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee, military representatives, wreath bearers, government officials, and members of the public will attend the Cenotaph at City Hall Square for the outdoor service.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • The LaSalle Police Service is reminding to beware of scammers as one is currently circulating.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½