At 34, just after celebrating the birth of her new baby, Charlene discovered a lump. Initially brushed off as fibroids—common among Black women—a mammogram revealed stage two breast cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes.

“All I kept thinking was: 34-year-old mom of two, how long do I have to live?” she recalls.

Feeling shame, like breast cancer wasn’t her disease, she kept her diagnosis to herself. In hindsight, Charlene noticed a recurring pattern in the Black community: loved ones would vanish after silently losing their battle with cancer.

After six weeks of facing her diagnosis alone, she confided in her husband and female relatives.

“One day, I went into the shower, and my hair came out in my hand,” she shares. “That was the only time I cried. As Black women, our hair is this big piece of who we are. But at that moment, I realized I’m more than just my hair. This is bigger than me.”

After a grueling journey involving a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and the removal of 19 lymph nodes, Charlene experienced a moment of profound relief and joy—she was finally cancer-free. Meeting another survivor empowered her to finally share her story.

“I realized many women of colour like me have gone through the same struggle. We don’t know much about Black women’s health in Canada or breast cancer in younger people. So, we need to do something about it,” she says.

Charlene is right—biology matters when it comes to breast cancer.

Research has shown us that Black women are more often affected by aggressive breast cancer types and are usually diagnosed younger and at more advanced stages.

Canada does not routinely track race-based data around breast cancer screening rates, however studies in the U.S. have found Black people have clear, poorer outcomes when it comes to breast cancer, especially young Black women.

In Breast Cancer Canada’s recent study, we found that 79 per cent of Canadians believe we should prioritize gathering race-based data to address a lack of information on racial disparities.

Through the generous support of our donors, groundbreaking studies like PROgress Tracker, are made possible. PROgress Tracker is collecting much-needed data that will uncover the breast cancer experience directly from the best source – the patient. This inclusive registry captures patient voices based on type, stage, age and ethnicity, helping to address disparities and improve patient care for patients like Charlene.

Nationally and locally, the data will inform policy and future breast cancer management.

To learn more, please visit: progresstracker.ca