February 4th is recognized as World Cancer Day, a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) that is focused on awareness, education and action. The goal of this day is to create a world where death from cancer is preventable and where everyone can access proper care and life-saving treatment.
This year, the theme of the “I Am and I Will” slogan is centered on driving individuals and communities to commit to act. And this year, as with all years, CBCN is doing just that. We remain dedicated to our goal of empowering the patient community through education and advocacy to show that together, we can make a difference. We hope that the work that CBCN does allows breast cancer patients to boldly proclaim, "I Am informed, and I Will be involved." Here is what we’re doing to make this statement a reality for the breast cancer community:
I Am Informed
Educational CBCN Resources
Never Too Young: Psychosocial Information and Support for Young Women with Breast Cancer – This handbook deals with the interaction between social and psychological factors of a breast cancer diagnosis as it relates to young women. Explore a range of topics from children and fertility, to work and mental health, and a whole host of other important topics and issues.
Get informed about being a young woman with a breast cancer diagnosis
Metastatic Breast Cancer Handbook: A guide for individuals living with stage IV breast cancer –Get a deeper look at how metastatic breast cancer affects your day-to-day life and learn ways to help manage the changes that this diagnosis brings. This guide explains stage IV breast cancer, treatment options and their side effects, clinical trials, complementary therapies, and more.
Get informed about living with a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis
Navigational Tools
SurgeryGuide – Breast surgery is one of the key tools in the management and treatment of breast cancer. Navigating the various options can also be daunting. SurgeryGuide was developed to help alleviate some of that fear by arming you with knowledge and navigating you through the various surgery and post-surgery options.
Get informed about which breast cancer surgeries are available to you
MedSearch – Use this navigational tool to easily find information about breast cancer drugs that are publicly funded in each province and territory. This tool also directs patients to information about additional funding sources for drugs that aren’t currently listed on public formularies.
Get informed about which breast cancer drugs and therapies are available to you
FinancialNavigator – A breast cancer diagnosis can have a significant impact on one’s finances. Our database makes it easy to search provincial and federal financial programs across Canada that can help ease some of the financial burden of a breast cancer diagnosis. FinancialNavigator also offers information on how to plan and prepare for the impacts of a cancer diagnosis.
Get informed about financial supports and programs that are available to you
I Will be Involved
Self-Advocacy
Advocacy Guides – CBCN's Advocacy Guides are short booklets that take a deep dive into a specific topic as a means to provide you with the knowledge and tools to become part of your breast cancer care team. We hope that these guides can be used to help breast cancer patients make informed decisions regarding their cancer care.
Get involved in your cancer care and management
Why It’s Important to Be Your Own Advocate – In this blog, we provide specific tips on how to become an advocate for yourself in order to ensure your needs are being met and your input is being considered.
Get involved and become a part of your healthcare team
Coming soon: Digital Advocacy and Storytelling Toolkit – As an individual diagnosed with breast cancer, you may advocate for your own cause or a collective cause that many breast cancer patients face. Currently in development, our Digital Advocacy and Storytelling Toolkit is being created to help patients advocate for a breast cancer issue through storytelling in order to create lasting and beneficial change for the larger patient community.
Share Your Experience
Patient Advisory Committees – CBCN is currently seeking patients with a diverse experience to join our advisory committee for the development of a new digital navigation tool. We are looking for people living with a metastatic/advanced breast cancer diagnosis or those diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. The time commitment for this project will be approximately 15 hours over a period of 9 months. This will consist of four daytime phone calls of approximately 1.5 hours each, and the rest will be spent independently reviewing the digital resource
Get involved and provide your input and insights by sending an email to Jenn Gordon
Our Voices blog – Our Voices is a place for breast cancer patients to share their experiences in their own words and to inspire others. It is a space to show other patients that they are not alone and that there are other going through similar experiences.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram today and let us know how you are embodying the I Am and I Will slogan of committing to act by using the hashtags: #WorldCancerDay #IAmAndIWill and tagging us.
Receive updates by email 
