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Many women 'do not check their breasts'

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Just 35% of women check their breasts regularly for signs of cancer, a new survey has revealed.

The charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer quizzed 2,005 women between the ages of 18 and 64 and the results showed that 23% of women rarely, if ever, check their breasts.

Alarmingly, the results showed that 37% of those who did not check their breasts regularly admitted they did not know how to, or what signs to look out for.

Almost 46,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer every year and it has now become one of the most common forms of the disease in the country.

Ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, the Breakthrough charity is embarking on a campaign to encourage more women to be alert to changes in their breasts, to check them more often and if they are concerned about anything suspicious, to report it to their doctor.

Dr Sarah Cant who works for the charity commented: 'We know that the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed the more likely it is that treatment will be successful.

'Checking your breasts isn't complicated and there's no need to follow a fancy routine. 'Just be familiar with how they look and feel normally.'

The charity survey revealed the confusion that exists among many women over the signs to look out for. Most women (88%) knew that lumps could be a sign of the disease, but just 12% knew that changes in skin texture – such as puckering or dimpling of the skin – could be possible warning signs.

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Monday 15 September 2008

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I wonder how many of the ladies who do not check their breasts simply aren't bothered about death though? I suffer encapsulated schizophrenia, phobias and OCD - not much I can do about it - and death is something I quite look forward to, although you wouldn't know it from my low key cheerfulness. My quality of life is very low and 80% of the time my brain won't even let me read much, which used to be a great pleasure, plus I don't believe I'll ever get back to work and have the stigma, a past of bullying from ignorant people once they found out why I was out of work and stress to contend with. I honestly feel that if I get cancer I get cancer - death's not the worst thing in the world, and anyone with a low quality of life, stuck in social housing with bad neighbours and so on might not really be bothered and not want treatment anyway? Just a thought as to why there is apathy among a certain section still when we have had breast cancer awareness rammed down our throat for years now...BTW, good luck to all those with the disease however, good to know for those who have stuff to live for that the likelihood of being treated successfully for breast cancer is good now. It was not the case years ago.
Comment by Cate on September 15 15:32