Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation marks 30 years, highlights ongoing fight

The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation is marking 30 years during "Breast Cancer Awareness Month," but its president and CEO, Karine-Iseult Ippersiel, says the battle is far from over.

From 1994 to 2021, the number of diagnoses has doubled.

"The incidence of breast cancer is still increasing, so it's one in eight. It's an average of 6,500 women every year that will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. And unfortunately, it's still one in 36 that will die from their breast cancer. So that's about 1,300 women per year in Quebec alone," said Ippersiel.

She emphasizes that early detection is key, and the foundation is supporting research that can predict breast cancer risk based on factors like age, breast density, and family history.

"We do a saliva test to check over 300 markers. All that combined gives us a personalized risk factor on which we could base your screening, whether you're 25 years old or 50 years old," Ippersiel explained.

Annie Slight, a breast cancer survivor, agrees.

"You can look at your risk assessment and know if early screening would apply to you," said Slight, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42.

She endured numerous surgeries and chemotherapy treatments and is now an advocate with the non-profit group Dense Breasts Canada.

"Every woman following a mammogram needs to be aware of her breast density. She needs to know that if she has dense breasts, a mammogram is important but not sufficient. There needs to be additional screening, whether it's ultrasound or MRI," Slight said.

She also implored women to check their breasts and get tested if they have concerns.

"The occurrence of breast cancer in younger women, the women featured in our campaign, were diagnosed between the ages of 24 and 39," Slight added.

She emphasized that even if someone doesn't fit the typical profile, any red flag should be taken seriously, and that breast cancer doesn't only affect women.

Superstar singer Beyoncé's father, Mathew Knowles, who is a breast cancer survivor after undergoing a mastectomy in 2019, will be a guest of The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation later this month to share his story.