According to the NHS website, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, and almost 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer within their lifetime. These are some very daunting statistics, but when detected early on, survival rates are proven to be much higher. The Breast Cancer Support Charity also states that, “more than 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest stage survive their disease for at least 5 years, compared to around 15% for women diagnosed with the most advanced stage of disease”. Detecting breast cancer early can be massively helped by checking your breasts regularly.
After speaking to some university students, it became very clear that there is a huge lack of awareness for the effectiveness of checking your breasts on a regular basis, and how to do it. A reoccurring response was, “I don’t but I probably should” or, as some students claimed, that they didn’t know what they should be looking for and didn’t check on a regular basis. There are many myths around the disease not effecting young people, as statistics show that it mainly effects older women; but by no means does this exclude the possibility for younger women and occasionally men falling victim to breast cancer.
Following the response from students, Plymouth Gazette spoke to a breast cancer survivor about her personal experience, and she was keen to share advice for young people to help raise awareness. During the conversation with Nikki she emphasised the importance of checking your breasts on a regular basis saying, “If I hadn’t checked, I wouldn’t have still been here. I checked myself every single week, one Monday I found something and two weeks later I was diagnosed.” She expressed how checking herself saved her life, “a month can be a big difference, a few months were the difference of me still being here”. Breast cancer can spread quickly from lymph nodes in the breast and even to other areas of the body, making it harder to get rid of and can decrease chances of survival. Nikki also spoke about younger people and how genetics and certain contraceptive pills can increase your chances of having breast cancer, “The second I was diagnosed my first thought was for the younger people my family”. She articulated the importance of young people becoming more educated on how to check themselves, and having the courage to visit their GP if they spot anything unusual. Getting to know your body to learn what is normal and abnormal for you is essential to detect changes and possible symptoms. . The best time to check is about a week after the end of your period, according to the Marie Keating Foundation; you should do this at least once a month.
Many charities focus on creating awareness of breast cancer and raising money to support those suffering from it. Coppafeel! is a charity that focuses on young people, and is active within the university. Their work provides tools and resources for young people to be able to detect breast cancer at the earliest stage possible, to create better chances for successful treatment and survival. “Our work is more than education; it is also about encouraging and empowering young people to have a positive relationship and outlook with their body and their health.” says Sophie Dopierala, the Director of Education and Health Comms at CoppaFeel!. “On average around 950 young women aged 34 and under will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, which shows that this disease isn’t just something that affects older women”. Their ethos is to encourage and educate young people about checking themselves, and to have knowledge of where to go next if they notice an abnormality. This education about breast cancer is important to save lives.
Speaking with a lead radiographer-breast imager, who is an advanced practitioner in image interpretation and biopsies, Plymouth Gazette received further information about what you should be looking for while checking your breasts or chest, and shared the diagnosis process. She described what changes are a cause for concern, “Women and sometimes men (little awareness of this) who find changes in their breasts usually visit their GP with their concerns. Symptoms which need investigating are:
- A new lump – many women have ‘lumpy breasts’ which change during the menstrual cycle and are normal for them, however new immobile lumps should always be checked out.
- Changes to skin texture including an ‘orange peel’ effect, dimpling and thickening.
- Nipple discharge – bloody or clear.
- Inverted nipple – some women have longstanding inverted nipples which are normal for them but if it’s just on one side and it’s new it should be looked at.
- Irritation or eczema around the nipple area.”
She wrote that after an initial GP appointment, if there is suspected breast cancer you will then normally be seen within 2 weeks at a Symptomatic Clinic at a local Breast Unit. Further tests will then be taken by a breast surgeon or advanced nurse practitioner. They will then perform imaging appropriate for the patient, “If under 40 this usually will just be ultrasound unless there is a clinically strong suspicion of cancer.” She explained how if these tests show abnormalities, a needle biopsy will then be performed to confirm the problem, and the patient will then receive their results around a week later.
If tested positive for breast cancer, “they will be seen by the breast surgeon again and a breast care nurse who will look after them and discuss all the options for treatments available to them”. However, it doesn’t always get to this level, with most women under 40 the problem could be a “benign condition such as cysts or fibroadenomas”. These tests have a clear quick turnaround due to the fast-growing nature of the illness, the earlier you take action the better your chances are to beat it.
Moving forward from this, remember to check your breasts regularly and to see a doctor if you have any concerns or notice anything different. For more information on breast cancer there are a list of links below to use and if there is anything that has affected you in this article you can contact the university well-being team.