October 17, 2022
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Ontario women. One in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.
The South West Regional Cancer Program (SWRCP) is a regional program that not only operates through the London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP), but also oversees the quality and delivery of cancer services for the counties of Grey, Bruce, Huron, Perth, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin and part of Norfolk. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, SWRCP and LRCP are encouraging women to screen often and early for breast cancer.
Linda Kuska, a registered nurse at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), knows the importance of screening and early detection for breast cancer. Regular screening can find breast cancer early when treatment has a better chance of working. Linda was concerned for her breast health and spoke with her family doctor about a lump she found. Her family doctor was able to provide a referral for follow-up screening, which detected the breast cancer in an early stage. After her experience with breast cancer, Linda and her health care team monitor her breast health with regular, annual screenings.
Linda was about to have her yearly physical exam with her family doctor in 1999, at age 36, when she performed the breast self-exam for the first time. She had not been screened for breast cancer previously and had decided to check herself.
“I found a little lump, but didn’t think too much of it at the time because I had no family history. I told my family doctor about the lump at our appointment and she felt it too,” Linda explains. “She referred me to get a mammogram and ultrasound at St. Joseph’s Health Care London.”
When the medical images showed a lesion, Linda was then referred to a surgeon at LHSC’s London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP). Through all of the referrals and tests, Linda remained unconcerned. As a nurse, she felt familiar with the health care system, and her focus was on taking care of others – she never thought she would be on the receiving end of the care she provides.
The lump was confirmed as cancerous. For treatment, Linda had a lumpectomy followed by five weeks of radiation at LRCP to ensure they caught anything that may have spread to outlying areas around the breast early.
Linda was deeply affected by the news. While she understood, as a health care practitioner, that there were next steps she needed to listen to, as a wife and mother all she could think about was her family and how her life had just changed. “When I first received the news, I thought I was never going to see my boys – who were six and nine years old then – grow up. At the appointment when the doctor was explaining the second surgery to me, I didn’t remember anything, I was in too much shock,” Linda says. “I never thought I would be that person that would need to call the doctor’s office again and have everything re-explained to me, but I was.”
“But the LRCP is incredible,” Linda says. “They were kind and accommodating to my schedule as I continued to work part time through my radiation treatment because I wanted to. I would work the night shift, get my treatment, then go home and sleep. I did that for five weeks until the treatment was complete.”
As a part of regular screening for breast cancer survivors, Linda, now 59 years old, attends yearly MRIs and mammograms. “I’ve come to know the techs at the mammography suite at St. Joseph’s and the experience has become routine. I now try my best to ease the minds of those coming in for their first appointments by talking with them and making sure they are doing okay,” Linda explains.
“The more you can be proactive with your own health, especially during times where our health care system is stressed, the better for you. It’s important to keep yourself as healthy as you can and spot those signs of breast cancer early through screening,” Linda shares. “I know that everyone’s experience will be unique, but at least you know you are doing everything you can by screening. If you are concerned about your breast health, you should talk to your family doctor.”
Breast cancer changed Linda’s life. She says she has never been healthier as a result of her participation in a dragon boat racing team, Rowbust, where all of the members are breast cancer survivors. She has been on the team since it started in 2000, and is currently the Team Captain. “We are national and world dragon boat racing champions, and I wouldn’t have built these lifelong friendships and have improved my fitness without my breast cancer experience,” Linda says.
While it might cause anxiety to screen for breast cancer, catching the cancer early can lead to better outcomes, some of which may be unexpected, like in Linda’s experience joining Rowbust. More people in Ontario survive breast cancer than almost every other cancer, and early detection helps with that outcome.
“What have I done with my life?” Linda asks herself. “I have accomplished so much with my nursing career, my loving and supportive family, being a part of Rowbust for 22 years, talking to breast cancer survivors and becoming lifelong friends. Even though I’ve lost some friends to breast cancer, my life has been better because we got to know each other. I just feel like my life is such a blessing and I want to pass on my knowledge about breast cancer and screening and my positive experience, so hopefully it can help others.”
If you are 50 or over, talk with your family doctor or nurse practitioner about your breast health screening test options.
There are several breast screening sites across the South West region of Ontario. You can get a referral from your family doctor, or you can self-refer. (Those under the age of 50 require a referral from a family physician for routine breast screening). Visit Cancer Care Ontario to find a screening site closest to you.
If you are 30 to 69 years old and think you may be at high risk of getting breast cancer based on your personal or family history, you should speak with your family doctor.
For more information on breast screening, visit Cancer Care Ontario.
