Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Members Statemen

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: OCTOBER - RECOG.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I rise today to recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to reflect on a disease that affects one in eight women in Canada - more than that in my own family - and touches families across Nova Scotia. We know that early detection saves lives. It also improves health outcomes and significantly reduces the emotional and financial burden on families and on our health care system.

Treating breast cancer in its early stages not only increases survival but lowers cost, with Stage 1 treatment's average cost 10 times lower than Stage 4. Access to timely and equitable screening is critical, especially for anyone with dense breast tissue who may require supplemental screening to catch cancer early. We must ensure that no one is left behind due to barriers in our health care system. This issue is personal to so many of us, and I stand in support of all those who have faced breast cancer, those in treatment, their families, and everyone else. Let's raise awareness and make action.