Many women 'do not check their breasts'

Many women 'don't check their breasts' regularly

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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