PEI is the first province to lower the colorectal cancer screening age to 45, weeks after CCS urged action as rates rise in adults under 50. This vital step will save lives. We applaud PEI’s leadership and urge all provinces and territories to follow. @peigov.bsky.social

Kicking off #InternationalWomensDay with Life Sciences Nova Scotia and partners at Amplify HER - a conversation about funding opportunities for women founders in #lifesciences. Room full of women building companies, reshaping systems, and champions choosing to open doors instead of guarding them.

Too much anxiety for a Sunday morning 😭

The passing of MP Kirsty Duncan is a deep loss for Canada. Her leadership in strengthening our research ecosystem - including championing women in science - and improving cancer control leaves a lasting legacy. Her story inspires us to keep pushing for better prevention and care.

If you can’t make it in person, you can still watch the episode online!
CBC Gem: gem.cbc.ca/the-nature-o...
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?si=qkI...

Excited to cheer on Dr. Kara Thompson and join a panel chat at @stfx-university.bsky.social after the screening of CBC’s The Nature of Things: “Proof: The New Science on Alcohol.” This doc challenges assumptions and explores the latest evidence on #alcohol and health (cc @cancersociety.bsky.social)

But also more work to do. Increasing vaccination rates matters, and so does delivering on other screening commitments: a #lungcancer screening program and lowering the start age for #colorectalcancer screening to 45. Those promises save lives. We at @cancersociety.bsky.social will keep advocating.

On #screening, #PEI became the first in Canada to officially shift from Pap tests to HPV testing in 2023, and their self-sampling pilot is now being rolled out province-wide. That’s real progress on accessibility, and putting cans screening tools directly in the hands of Islanders.

#PEI has one of the most inclusive #HPV vaccination approaches in Canada, “once eligible, always eligible.” Anyone under 45 can get the vaccine for free. The school program started in 2015, so there are people who may have missed it or don’t realize they can still get vaccinated.

Cervical cancer rate isn’t dropping, but advocates say P.E.I. leads in prevention A new report from the Canadian Cancer Society says cervical cancer rates have plateaued across the country, including in P.E.I. Advocates say it’s a concerning trend, but that the Island is leading th...

🧵 #PEI is showing what real leadership looks like when it comes to eliminating #cervicalcancer and should be celebrated. You can learn more here: www.cbc.ca/player/play/... But let’s dig into it…

Not a problem @sflkirk.bsky.social. You know how passionate I get about this work. Our tax and healthcare systems cannot afford more preventable disease.

Where are the warning labels about alcohol's negative impacts on society? - Halifax Examiner We're better at understanding the health effects of drinking, but there's still work to be done to understand the larger dangers to all of us.

Where are the warning labels about alcohol’s negative impacts on society?

Commentary by me

www.halifaxexaminer.ca/commentary/w...

Then in #Newfoundland and #Labrador the province has been implementing its alcohol strategy, one that focuses on alcohol-related harms through prevention, screening, intervention, and treatment.

Not too far, in #PEI we have seen some of the most progressive approaches. Not only campaigns that are in public spaces led by government, but public consultations and conversation about the relationship the Islanders have with alcohol, and developing strategies and new approaches to reduce risk.

🧵There are fantastic examples of provinces, right here in Atlantic Canada, taking bold steps. In the #NewBrunswick spring legislative session, the liberals voted down an opposition bill to expand alcohol access, citing public health and the risks. There’s also public health campaigns.

@ccsadvocacy.bsky.social spoke at the Senate committee in support Bill S-202. We believe all Canadians deserve to make informed decisions. Labels are an important step. The evidence is clear, alcohol causes cancer. We need to act intentionally to reduce risk. @suzannerent.bsky.social

I'm curious to know the community response to Houston's desire to expand alcohol sales. Govt seems to have gone quiet on that. There are more places to buy alcohol than there are Tim Hortons in NS (learned that from my colleague @hmulligan.bsky.social). Also see cgscholar.com/bookstore/wo...

Congratulations Premier-designate Tony Wakeham, the PC Party, and all new and returning members of the @nlleg.bsky.social. We look forward to our continued work together, improving the health of all #Newfoundlanders and #Labradorians. To take on #cancer, it takes all of us. It takes a society.

Great things are possible when government and innovation sectors come together to create ecosystems that advance new treatment options and improve outcomes for people with cancer, not only in New Brunswick, but across the Atlantic region. Congratulations @govnb.bsky.social

Exploring the Health and Wellbeing Impacts of Alcohol Expansion in NS A mini conference exploring the health and wellbeing impacts of alcohol expansion in Nova Scotia communities and populations.

#NovaScotians deserve to know how expanded alcohol sales could impact our health and communities. Join IWK Health, @ccsacanada.bsky.social, @InjuryFreeNS & @cancersociety.bsky.social and hear directly from the experts and those with lived experiences: www.eventbrite.ca/e/exploring-...

We applaud the PC Party of #NewfoundlandandLabrador for committing to modernize medical travel. Those in rural and remote areas face steep barriers when accessing essential cancer care. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians deserve equitable access to healthcare, no matter where they live. #nlpoli

Important context: the US made 21 the minimum age for tobacco and vaping products nationwide in 2019. Canada hasn’t. Only PEI has moved to 21 and it’s working. That’s why US trends look different and nicotine use is different. Age based approaches work.

Opinion: Protect next generation from nicotine addiction The next generation of Atlantic Canadians are growing up in a nicotine landscape that looks nothing like the one their parents knew.

Back to school in #AtlanticCanada doesn’t just mean books and backpacks. Youth vaping rates here are the highest in Canada. With $2.1B from Big Tobacco settlements, provinces have a chance to change the story. 🔗 www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...

September always feels like a reset. This fall in #AtlanticCanada we’re focused on expanding #cancerscreening, stronger #alcohol & #tobacco policies, better #drugaccess, affordable care and more. Grateful to do this work with @cancersociety.bsky.social and partners committed to better outcomes 💛

What's contributing delays in cancer care and surgeries across NL? For treatments such as radiation, NLHS says it's meeting national benchmarks, but Canadian Cancer Society spokesperson sees room to improve

Great piece Cameron Kilfoy and great advocacy by @hmulligan.bsky.social ! ❤️

@cancersociety.bsky.social

#NewfoundlandAndLabrador #Cancer #Advocacy #MTAP #RuralCare #CancerCare

www.saltwire.com/newfoundland...

Lower bridge, ferry costs mean less of a barrier for people going off-Island for health care | CBC News Living with a rare disease that comes with chronic pain hasn't been easy or cheap for P.E.I. resident Christine MacFadyen. The cost associated with travelling off-Island for health care eventually pus...

Sometimes wins for healthcare come from unexpected places. Lowering bridge & ferry fees in #PEI isn’t just about tourism or trade, it reduces barriers for people who travel for cancer care. This is why we need a health lens in every nation-building convo. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Antigonish craft brewery testing health warning labels on beer cans | CBC News St. FX researcher hopes that the project will raise awareness among Nova Scotians about the health risks associated with alcohol consumption.

🔗 www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Researchers at St. F.X. partner with brewery to put health warning labels on alcohol products » The Laker News ANTIGONISH: Dr. Kara Thompson, Research Chair in Substance Use Policy and Prevention at St. Francis Xavier University, and Director of the Victor and Mona

Nearly half of #AtlanticCanadians don’t know that alcohol increases #cancer risk. That’s why this new pilot matters. Clear, evidence-based labels. 84% support this type of awareness. The public is ready. Policy needs to catch up.

🔗 thelaker.ca/researchers-...

Researchers at St. F.X. partner with brewery to put health warning labels on alcohol products » The Laker News ANTIGONISH: Dr. Kara Thompson, Research Chair in Substance Use Policy and Prevention at St. Francis Xavier University, and Director of the Victor and Mona

🔗 thelaker.ca/researchers-...

PCH cancer patients must go to Charlottetown for treatment until July 10, says Health P.E.I. | CBC News Cancer patients who usually get treatment in Summerside will have to travel to P.E.I.’s capital over the next several days, while those who need a medical oncologist will need to go to Charlottetown u...

We don’t talk enough about what it really costs to go through cancer. This isn’t just unique to #PEI. Across #AtlanticCanada, more and more people are travelling for care, adding financial strain on patients and families already carrying so much.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...