Ganong CEO shares breast cancer journey, urges others to be proactive about health

The CEO and president of a chocolate and candy company in New Brunswick is sharing her journey with breast cancer to encourage other people to be proactive about their health.

Bryana Ganong from Ganong Bros. Limited said she went for her first mammogram this past spring and received the surprising diagnosis.

“It was a shock to be sure,” she told CTV Morning Live on Tuesday. “I had no family history, no risk factors. It was very overwhelming.”

Ganong underwent surgery in May to remove the cancer, which luckily turned out to be Stage 1. She continued with chemotherapy, which she recently completed.

“I’m so thankful for that early detection,” she said. “I can’t say enough about the health-care professionals I encountered. They walked me through step-by-step.”

Heather Mulligan, manager of advocacy in Atlantic Canada with the Canadian Cancer Society, said breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death for women.

“In Canada, breast cancer death rate has decreased over 40 per cent since the 1990s, which is largely attributed to a combination of both increased mammography screening as well as use of more effective treatments for the diagnosis," Mulligan said. “We know that when individuals are given the opportunity to refer themselves to screening to get that early diagnosis, the outcomes not only for the patient but also for the health system improves. We know that there's a lot of complications that come with a later stage diagnosis and treatment options are very different depending on what stage that breast cancer is identified.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Ganong is asking people to be proactive with their health diagnoses to hopefully catch cancer or other serious illnesses early.

“I want to encourage others to take action,” she said. “I really feel I have a responsibility to spread the message.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Avery MacRae

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