She Was 42, Healthy, and Symptom-Free

When Kirsten Kay’s husband heard a radio ad announcing that the starting age for breast cancer screening had been lowered from 50 to 40, he encouraged her to book an appointment.

There was no lump. Kirsten had no symptoms and no reason to believe anything was wrong. Still, the message stayed with him.

He kept saying, ‘I think you should go,’” Kirsten recalled. “We couldn’t feel anything, but I thought, he’s right. My mom passed away from lung cancer, and even though it wasn’t connected, I wanted to take every precaution.”

At 42, Kirsten booked her first mammogram on the Screen for Life Coach. She attended her appointment in December 2024 and later received a letter explaining that additional testing was needed. A biopsy followed. At the end of January, Kirsten received a phone call from her doctor confirming that she had breast cancer.

“I was shocked,” she said. “There were a lot of tears because there were so many unknowns. But I had already determined that I wasn’t going anywhere. This wasn’t where my story was going to end.”

Kirsten was diagnosed with stage one invasive ductal carcinoma. Because the cancer had been found through screening, it was detected before she could feel it herself.

Kirsten underwent a partial mastectomy two days before her 43rd birthday. She later completed nine rounds of radiation treatment, and rang the bell to mark the end of radiation on the same day as her daughter’s Grade 8 graduation.

“It was a big day in our house,” she said. “There was lots to celebrate.”

For Kirsten, the expansion of breast cancer screening to people in their 40s was particularly significant. Had the starting age stayed at 50, she would not have been eligible to self-refer through the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) when she booked her mammogram at 42. With no symptoms and no lump she could feel, she may not have discovered the cancer until it had grown larger.

That reality is not lost on her.

“I will tell anybody who will listen: go for the test. If you’re in your 40s, you’re not too young,” she said. “Your life is more important than a few minutes of being uncomfortable. The squeeze isn’t as bad as people will have you believe, you’ve probably been hurt more by your toddler.”

Although Kirsten does not consider herself particularly superstitious, she believes someone may have been looking out for her from the beginning.

“My husband still doesn’t really know what prompted him to keep telling me to go,” she said. “I’ve always been convinced he had an angel whispering in his ear, saying, ‘You need to get her checked.’ Whatever it was, I’ll be forever grateful.”

Is it time to book your mammogram?

In Ontario, eligible women, Two-Spirit, trans and nonbinary people ages 40 to 74 can self-refer for breast cancer screening through OBSP, meaning a referral from a doctor or nurse practitioner is not required.

For most people at average risk, a screening mammogram is recommended every two years. Screening is intended for people who do not have symptoms and can find breast cancer before signs or symptoms develop.

To learn more about breast cancer screening, eligibility, or how to book an appointment, visit tbrhsc.net/breast-cancer-screening.