MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the
Opposition.
MS JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I stand today to present a
petition on behalf of women in this Province who are
calling upon the government, Mr. Speaker, to reduce the
age for breast screening in Newfoundland and Labrador.
These are women from all over the Province who have
signed petitions and sent them to the House of Assembly.
I will read the prayer of the
petition for you:
WHEREAS
breast cancer is the most common cancer among
Newfoundland and Labrador women excluding non-melanoma
skin cancer, with approximately 370 women to be
diagnosed with breast cancer in Newfoundland and
Labrador this year; and
WHEREAS
we have one of the highest mortality rates from breast
cancer and breast cancer in young women tends to be more
aggressive; and
WHEREAS
the benchmark for Newfoundland and Labrador’s organized
breast screening program is age fifty; and
WHEREAS
women aged forty to forty-nine are not eligible to
participate in Newfoundland and Labrador’s organized
breast screening program, while women aged forty to
forty-nine are eligible in the provinces of British
Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island,
Northwest Territories and the Yukon; and
WHEREAS
there is evidence that routine mammography screening of
women in their forties can reduce mortality from breast
cancer by at least 24 per cent, but Newfoundland and
Labrador still does not allow women in that age group to
self-refer into their breast screening program;
WHEREUPON
the undersigned, your petitioners, humbly pray and call
upon the House of Assembly to allow women aged forty to
forty-nine to be eligible for breast screening to begin
at age forty and that all women be able to self-refer
through Newfoundland and Labrador’s screening program.
Mr. Speaker, this petition has
been circulating throughout the Province. We have
hundreds and hundreds of signatures on this petition
alone. Most of this petition comes from the Gander area.
From places like Glenwood, Gander, Wings Point, Gander
Bay area – I am just reading through it, Mr. Speaker –
Norris Arm, from all different areas, Lewisporte,
Frederickton, Gambo, Glovertown, Port Blandford,
Appleton.
Mr. Speaker, there are people from
all over, women mostly but men as well, who are signing
these particular petitions because they see this as an
important issue, an important issue in the Province.
They think the age of breast screening should be reduced
for women in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As is outlined in the petition, it
is already being done in places like British Columbia,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest
Territories, the Yukon and Alberta. It is now going to
be done in Ontario. We are one of the few provinces in
the country that still does not provide that service for
women.
Everyday, Mr. Speaker, I get
e-mails from women who were diagnosed at a younger age.
This morning I received an e-mail from a woman who was
forty-one years old when she was diagnosed with breast
cancer. We know, Mr. Speaker, early diagnosis means that
we save lives in this Province. We can reduce the
mortality rate by nearly 25 per cent through early
diagnosis. Why is it that the government will not bring
in this policy? Why will they not provide for screening
for women under the age of fifty so that they can
self-refer into their system and not have to go begging
the doctors to get referrals? I think it is time for the
government to take this seriously. The evidence out
there supports it, and all of these women are sending
petitions to the House of Assembly asking the government
to do that. I appeal to the Premier today, I appeal to
her government, on behalf of women in this Province,
please, do something to lower the benchmark to save
lives of women through early diagnosis of breast cancer.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
