Below are the questions we have posed to PEI Candidates running in the election. Find their responses below!
Question 1: Lung Cancer Screening
While the PEI Cancer Action Plan 2023-2028 discusses breast cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening, and pap tests and cervical cancer screening, there is no mention of a lung cancer screening program being developed. And yet lung cancer is diagnosed more frequently in PEI (an estimated 170 cases in 2022) and causes more deaths (115 in 2022) than any other cancer.
Lung cancer screening can help find lung cancer early, when treatment has a better chance of working. Low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans search the lung cancer as well as other lung diseases. Early detection using low-dose CT scanning has been shown to reduce lung cancer deaths by 20 per cent.
Several provinces have created permanent lung cancer screening programs (Ontario) or are engaging in pilot projects (Quebec, Alberta). British Columbia, with its Lung Cancer Screening Program’s 32 screening sites covering the entire province, is an example of a successful program.
If elected, will your government:
- Create a lung cancer screening program that covers the entire province?
- Provide access in this program for at risk individuals who do not currently or have never smoked, specifically including those who are determined to have incidental pulmonary nodules?
Question 2
In Prince Edward Island, women with dense breasts do not have access to essential supplemental screening, such as ultrasound, which can help to find breast cancer early. Dense breasts make it harder for radiologists to spot cancer because both cancer and dense tissue appear white on a mammogram. A masking effect is created. For women with dense breasts, mammograms are not enough. It has been known for over 25 years that ultrasound can find many of the cancers that are missed on mammograms when they are still small and have not spread to lymph nodes. Early detection of breast cancer means a better prognosis for PEI women, less aggressive treatment, and better quality of life.
If elected, will your government:
- Ensure supplemental breast screening for women with Category C and D breast density?
Question 3
Many Islanders are concerned about the link between cancer and pesticide use in the agricultural industry.
If elected,
- What steps will your government take to address this issue?