We’ve all heard the refrain: early detection is key. But is anyone listening?

When it comes to breast cancer, apparently not, say doctors.

Though it's the most common form of cancer amongst Quebec women – and one of the deadliest – hundreds of thousands of women who should be are not getting screened for breast cancer.

In an effort to change that, the Canadian Cancer Society launched a campaign Saturday to promote early detection.

All Quebec women over the age of 50 are entitled to a free mammogram every two years. Out of the one million women that are eligible, almost half never book an exam.

“I think it’s a shame,” said radiologist Dr. Suzanne Drouin. “Because there are a lot of women out there who aren't getting screened and have breast cancer, and it’s getting bigger.”

Mammograms can detect even the tiniest masses, often before they’re ever noticed.

Caught early, the survival rate is almost 100 per cent, and thanks in part to early detection, breast cancer mortality rates have plummeted.

But thousands of Quebecers continue to avoid screening, in part because don't feel they're at risk, said Drouin.

“The fact is, most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer don't have a family history,” she said, dispelling a common myth.

The other main reason they don't consult: perceived pain.

“A lot of them really are afraid of pain that might be induced by a mammogram,” she said.

As uncomfortable as it maybe, cancer survivor Suzanne Lamoureux said she’ll never regret getting a mammogram.

“At the first mammogram, they found a tumour. It was two and a half centimetres,” she said, adding that she couldn’t feel it because of where it was placed. “Women will say 'Oh I'll feel it.' It couldn't be felt. It was way under, and it couldn't be felt.”

Drouin confirmed as much.

“It (was) deep in the breast and impossible to detect through a self-exam,” said Drouin.

Thanks to radiation and surgery, Lamoureux is now cancer free and uses her experience to teach others about early detection.

“We have the choice. The chance of having this kind of program that will keep cancer from spreading through your body -- everyone should go, even if it hurts a little bit,” she said.