One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In Canada, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women of all ages, but the leading cause in women aged 30 to 49. Late diagnosis can worsen the disease and reinforce inequalities. In Quebec, delays in diagnosis are much longer than in Ontario or Alberta, where delays are the shortest in the country. An outdated cancer registry and a lack of standardization of care contribute to Quebec's delays. In this article, the authors explore the capabilities, performance and innovations of breast cancer diagnosis in Quebec, and compare them to those in other provinces. In their view, Quebec can and must do better by strengthening its commitment to innovative policies and developing effective methods for collecting comprehensive, standardized, up-to-date and accessible data. These efforts are essential, both for health care planning and for the advancement of research.

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