Cancer awareness is at the forefront of cancer prevention. Cancer screening is the first step. This involves testing apparently healthy people for signs of disease. When cancer is picked up early, treatment is more likely to be successful.
Our Goal is to get more cancers diagnosed at an early stage by raising awareness of key symptoms and encouraging people to discuss them with their doctor without delay.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is when abnormal cells in the breast begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way and eventually form a growth (tumour).
Breast cancer most commonly starts in the cells that line the milk ducts of the breast. It is the most common cancer in the UK. It mainly affects women, but men can get it too. Around 55,500 women and around 370 men are diagnosed in the UK each year.
1 in 7 women in the UK develop breast cancer during their lifetime. It is more common in older women.
There is no simple cause of breast cancer. A variety of risk factors come together to make you more, or less, susceptible. Some of these risk factors are inherited, some are incurred throughout your life and others are present in the environment in which you live.
Breast cancer risk can be affected by age, family history and lifestyle factors. This includes obesity and smoking.
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5 top tips to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
- Drink less alcohol. It's best not to drink. If you drink, do it in moderation. Do not go beyond the UK government guidelines of 14
units of alcohol per week
- Get active. By being physically active you can reduce your risk of breast cancer by around 20% .
- Maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is a key part
of reducing your risk of breast cancer.
- Eat more fruit and veg. By making good food choices you can
reduce your risk of breast cancer.
- Be aware of harmful chemicals. Many chemicals in everyday products and the environment may affect your risk of breast cancer.
At least 30% of breast cancers cases could be prevented.
Visit www.breastcanceruk.org.uk
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:
- A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit.
- A change to the skin, such as puckering or dimpling.
- A change in the colour of the breast – the breast may look red or inflamed.
- A nipple change, for example it has become pulled in (inverted)
- Rash or crusting around the nipple.
- Unusual liquid (discharge) from either nipple
- Changes in size or shape of the breast
On its own, pain in your breasts is not usually a sign of breast cancer. But look out for pain in your breast or armpit that’s there all or almost all the time.
Although rare, men can get breast cancer. The most common symptom of breast cancer in men is a lump in the chest area.
Your symptoms may not be due to breast cancer, and they may not make you feel unwell. But it is important that any symptoms you have are checked by a doctor, even if you are feeling well.
The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely the treatment is to be successful.
For information about breast cancer screening, what to expect, when to have it and how to book and instructions on how to check yourself for breast cancer please check out the link below.
Breast Screening and How To Check Your Breasts
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