What started as a burning sensation in Chantel Kauffman’s left breast turned out to be a 10-centimetre tumor. It was discovered in October 2012. She was only 37 years old. Earlier that year, she visited her family physician’s office for a check-up after noticing firmness in her breast. Her first mammogram showed no abnormalities.

“Over the spring and summer, it got worse. I had swelling in my breast that wouldn’t go down and I was constantly exhausted. I just knew something was wrong,” Chantel recalls. “After a second mammogram, I had to visit the Breast Assessment Centre at Pasqua Hospital for a biopsy.”

It was there she received the devastating news – she had breast cancer. She went on to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. Today, she’s thriving.

In Saskatchewan, about 750 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually. In Chantel’s case, quick access to the Breast Assessment Centre for a biopsy increased her chances of survival. The Screening Program for Breast Cancer (SPBC) in Saskatchewan conducts 40,000 mammograms a year, half of which take place in southern Saskatchewan. While patients may visit Yorkton, Swift Current and Moose Jaw for breast screenings, these facilities are only able to perform ultrasounds or mammograms. If their results show an abnormality, a biopsy is required. They are then referred to the Breast Assessment Centre in Regina.

In 2005, Hospitals of Regina Foundation began raising funds for the purchase of enhanced diagnostic equipment at the Breast Assessment Centre. Today this advanced centre sees about 16 patients daily.

“Our job is to reassure the patient on the spot. If they come in with an abnormal scan from another facility and are concerned about cancer, we perform the appropriate imaging procedure at the centre,” says Dr. Chong-Ha Lim, radiologist and director of breast assessment services in Regina. “If it’s normal or benign, we provide them with an answer right away.”

In cases where an abnormality is confirmed, a biopsy is also performed immediately at the centre. Compared to other facilities, the centre provides an integrated approach to breast assessments by offering a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. Women can undergo a number of procedures in one place, in just one visit, and learn their test results immediately.

Today, thanks to the Breast Assessment Centre, women across southern Saskatchewan, like Chantel, can receive the peace of mind and good health care they need, locally, during a challenging period.

Community support for the centre, through donations to Hospitals of Regina Foundation, has been tremendous and continuous. One example of how the community supports the centre is through The Power of Pink - an event organized every two years to raise funds for new technology at the centre.

Pam Klein, founder and chair of The Power of Pink, says, “Our goal was to help establish a one-stop centre of care for breast health, right here in Regina. With advanced technology, equipment and experienced staff in one facility, the odds of early detection are improved.”