Breast Wise - by Anna Wilkinson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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 don't 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 isn't the same for everyone: lifestyle, reproductive factors, breast density, family history and race all impact your individual risk. But cancer doesn't start at diagnosis, and breast health doesn't begin with a mammogram.

Dr. Anna Wilkinson is both a family doctor and a GP Oncologist--she's 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 Canada's 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.

About the Author

DR. ANNA WILKINSON is a nationally-recognized family doctor, GP Oncologist, Associate Professor and cancer researcher, and one of Canada's most outspoken advocates for breast health. She spearheaded, co-authored, and edited "Oncology Briefs", a series in the Canadian Family Physician journal educating our nation's family doctors about cancer care. With her Regional Cancer Program team, Anna started Champlain Screening Outreach, a novel program allowing individuals without a primary care provider to access cancer screening. She has been a guest on CBC Radio Syndication and the CBC radio shows White Coat, Black Art; Just Asking; Ontario Today; and Ottawa Morning, and her work has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Toronto Star and Ottawa Citizen. Anna lives in Ottawa and in her spare time tries to keep up with her four athletic daughters.