Breast Awareness

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease of females in the United Kingdom affecting one in eleven women and accounting for more than 10,000 deaths annually in England and Wales, with 41,000 per year being diagnosed. Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) of all cancers in women occur in the breast and 80% of breast cancers occur in post-menopausal women. But, although it's more common when over the age of 50, an increasing number of younger women are now being diagnosed with the disease.

Only 5% - 10% of breast cancers are hereditary or there is a family history. 9 out of 10 breast lumps are not a sign of breast cancer and 90% of breast cancers are first spotted by women themselves or their partners.

This last fact in particular shows it is essential that women of all ages are 'breast aware'. 

Breast Awareness

To be breast aware means becoming familiar with how your breasts look and feel. You should understand how your breasts may change at different times during the month and also as you get older. The important thing is to recognise which changes are usual and which are not. Make sure you know what is normal for you.

You can help yourself by checking your breasts at least once a month. Why not try doing it in the shower, using your hands to wash yourself rather than a sponge or flannel? Just a few minutes every now and then could help save your life. Look for these changes, and remember, if you are in any doubt visit your doctor. While a breast lump can be a sign of breast cancer (as well as a number of non-cancerous conditions), not all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will have a noticeable lump.  Other signs to look out for include the following:

•  A change in size - it may be that one breast has become noticeably larger or noticeably lower
•  A nipple has become inverted (pulled in) or changed its position or shape
•  A rash around the nipple
•  Discharge from one or both nipples
•  Puckering or dimpling of the skin
•  A swelling under your armpit or around your collarbone (where the lymph nodes or glands are)
•  A lump or thickening in your breast that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue
•Constant pain in one part of your breast or in your armpit

Most breast changes will prove to be benign (non-cancerous) but you should always report any concern to your GP and if you are aged 50 or over, attend routine breast screening.

The breast awareness 5-point code

1.      Know what is normal for you
2.      Know what changes to look and feel for
3.      Look and feel
4.      Report any changes to your GP without delay
5.      Attend for routine breast screening if you are aged 50 or over

New Test To Access Risk Of Breast Cancer In Women

At the moment it is only possible to test a women's chances of getting breast cancer by comparing her genes to those of her mother or grandmother. Although this has helped to save many lives by letting women know early if they have a high chance of developing cancer, many women who believed they may have been in a high risk category were not able to take the test as they had no living relative to compare their genes with.

Faulty genes are often the cause of breast cancer and a new test that will soon be available that checks a women's genes for faults without having to compare them to those of her mother or grandmother. Thus women who have no living relatives will still be able to find out whether or not they are at a high risk of developing the disease. The test is likely to cost around £2000.00, with the price decreasing for any following family members who need it, as some of the initial gene identification work would not have to be carried out twice.

If women are found to have high risk genes their chances of getting breast cancer
can be increased to up to 85%. Consequently it is important for these women to have regular mammograms and many request having their breasts removed before they even show any signs of having the disease.

Treatment
There are 4 main categories of treatment for breast cancer and an individual patient may end up having one or all of these treatments.

Surgery - This involves removal of the primary tumour in the breast with a normal margin of surrounding tissue and removal of the lymph glands from the armpit of the same breast to make sure that they do not contain signs of spread of the tumour from the breast. If the primary tumour is small and peripheral it is possible to remove a portion of the breast (wide local excision) but if the tumour is large or central then removal of all of the breast tissue (mastectomy) is required.

Radiotherapy - X-ray treatment is required after wide local excision or for a large tumour that approaches near to one of the surgical resection margins.

Chemotherapy - This is necessary tumours that are aggressive and have spread to the lymph glands under the arm at the time of surgery and for those patients who have signs of spread to other organs. Breast chemotherapy is not as aggressive as that for other forms of cancer, eg. leukaemia, however hairloss may occur with this treatment.

For more information on Breast Awareness and the detection and treatment of breast cancer visit any of the websites below.

  Breast Cancer Awareness

  Breakthrough

  Breast Cancer .org

  Y-Me

  Cancer Bacup

  NHS Screening

  Breast Cancer resources directory