Breast Wise

Your guide to navigating breast health, understanding your personal risk of breast cancer and taking action, from family doctor and GP oncologist, Dr. Anna Wilkinson.

If you have breasts, or someone you care for has breasts, this book is for you.

Half our population has breasts. They symbolize femininity, embody sexuality and reflect motherhood. Few body parts get so much attention, yet most people dont know that they should be aware of their breast health, or that they have the power to affect it. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime—chances are, you or someone you know has been impacted by breast cancer. Risk isnt the same for everyone: lifestyle, reproductive factors, breast density, family history and race all impact your individual risk. But cancer doesnt start at diagnosis, and breast health doesnt begin with a mammogram.

Dr. Anna Wilkinson is both a family doctor and a GP Oncologist—shes also a researcher, mother and a woman—and through these many roles, she has vital insight into all aspects of breast health. From that vantage point, there is a troubling disconnect between Canadas approach to breast cancer screening and the real-world impact of breast cancer on the front lines. Misinformation abounds, and from awareness, to screening, to treatment, to biases in the very medical system we rely on, there is a lot to navigate.

Whether you are 20 or 80 years old, no matter your race or gender identity, Breast Wise will make sure you have the information you need to be breast self-aware, appreciate your risk, and understand how breast screening really works, so that you can tilt the balance in your favour. Down-to-earth and practical, every mother will want to share this book with their daughters.

Breast Wise separates fact from fiction, and myth from reality, so you can make informed and personalized decisions about your health and your body.