On March 29th, 2007 at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver, “The Summit: 2020 – The Future Without Breast Cancer” was held, and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region asked two simple but very complex questions: If we want a future without breast cancer by 2020, what will it take? More to the point, where do we start?
At The Summit, British Columbia’s leaders in cancer care and women’s health along with breast cancer survivors, met face-to-face in a “round table” setting to begin to answer these questions. They came to listen, discuss, debate, and formulate a plan that would realize the 2020 goal. After key presentations by leaders in the areas of prevention, early detection, treatment, research and emerging health care workforce issues, participants discussed the potential contribution of each area toward a future without breast cancer.
The recommendations coming out of The Summit were as follows:
PREVENTION
- Deliver clear messages about personal risk reduction
- Advocate for public policies that facilitate the prevention of cancer
- More answers from research about environmental impacts and risk factors
EARLY DETECTION
- Clear messages that appeal to all women about how often to go for a mammogram and why
- Fully involve family doctors in informing women about having a regular mammogram
TREATMENT
- Develop advanced treatment systems that provide more precision in cancer care: the right treatment for the right woman, for the right type of breast cancer
RESEARCH
- Developing comprehensive cancer care, where research informs treatment
HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE
- All related health occupations and organizations need to become more strategic about workforce recruitment, education and planning to avert a future with high case loads and personnel shortages.
As a result of The Summit and the above recommendations, the leaders in British Columbia have commited themselves to finding a cure and creating a future without breast cancer by the year 2020.
Information courtesy of: www.cbcf.org