Bill C-314

1st Session, 41st Parliament,

60 Elizabeth II, 2011

house of commons of canada

BILL C-314

An Act respecting the awareness of screening among women with dense breast tissue

Whereas the Canadian Cancer Society predicts that, in 2011, an estimated 23,400 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, from which 5,100 of them will die;

Whereas breast cancer screening services are provided by the provinces and territories, as they are responsible for the delivery of health care in their jurisdictions;

Whereas the Government of Canada facilitates the identification and adoption of effective practices and the sharing of information on screening methods and outcomes through its roles in research and surveillance, and through its programs and networks;

Whereas the Government of Canada supports the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to accelerate pan-Canadian implementation of effective cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, and to improve the quality of life of those living with cancer;

Whereas the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funds researchers to investigate the full spectrum of cancer prevention and control, including breast cancer;

Whereas, through the Canadian Breast Can­cer Screening Initiative, the Public Health Agency of Canada collaborates with provincial and territorial governments to monitor the performance of organized breast cancer screening programs, including those monitoring breast density and its implications for screening;

Whereas professional associations, the Canadian Cancer Society and women’s health organizations play important roles in providing reliable information that support evidence-based decisions;

Whereas the existing breast cancer screening programs in Canada, which exist in most provinces and territories, are invaluable tools in the early detection of breast cancer;

Whereas it is more challenging to detect breast cancer in women who have heterogeneous or dense breast tissue because both the cancer and dense breast tissue appear in white on mammograms, making detection more difficult;

And whereas Canadians will benefit from increased awareness of the challenges related to breast cancer screening for women with heterogeneous or dense breast tissue;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the Breast Density Awareness Act.

BREAST DENSITY AWARENESS

2. While respecting the jurisdictions and responsibilities of the entities referred to in the preamble to this Act, the Government of Canada must encourage the use of existing programs and other initiatives that are currently supported by those entities in order to increase awareness concerning the implications of heterogeneous or dense breast tissue for breast cancer screening by

(a) determining whether gaps in information exist relating to breast density in the context of breast cancer screening;

(b) identifying approaches, where needed, for improving the information provided to women undergoing screening for breast cancer, in order to

(i) address the challenges of detecting breast cancer in women with heterogeneous or dense breast tissue, and

(ii) raise awareness concerning these challenges; and

(c) sharing through the Canadian Breast Cancer Screening Initiative information related to the identification of heterogeneous or dense breast tissue during screening and any follow-up procedures.