Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Among Canadian women breast cancer is the form of cancer most often diagnosed. It ranks second after lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths. More than 21,200 Canadian women will be diagnosed with this disease each year, and more than 5,200 deaths will occur as a result. In the NWT about 20 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed each year, comprising 40 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in women. The incidence of breast cancer among NWT women is higher than the Canadian rate.
The evidence is strongly established that routine mammography screening reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer by detection at the early, most treatable stage. I am pleased to announce that as of September 2008 we have expanded the mammography breast cancer screening program to Hay River. This builds on the program we have at Stanton Territorial Hospital.
The implementation of this core service, made possible with assistance from federal funding, will improve wait times for women being tested in the area. The service will have a common database with the Stanton Territorial Health Authority screening program and will work in collaboration with the breast screening program in Yellowknife. An estimated 450 to 500 women will be screened in the Hay River area each year.
This new mammography program is in addition to the mobile mammography services being provided through Screen Test Alberta to residents of Fort Smith and other South Slave communities. This service will enable women to take charge of their own breast health by providing them with results sooner, screening education, as well as recall letters when they are due for their next screening exam.
I applaud the collaborative work of the authorities and the NWT breast screening committee in making this project become a reality, and I encourage all women to get breast screened regularly to ensure early detection of this disease.
