Breast cancer
In the UK, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with
1 in 9 women developing breast cancer during their
lifetime. Nearly 1 in 3 of all cases of cancers in women are
breast cancer. Almost 46,000 people are diagnosed with breast
cancer in the UK each year, usually in women who are over 50 years
of age and who have reached menopause. However, it is possible for
women of any age to be affected by breast cancer and, in rare
cases, the condition can also affect men.
The main symptom of breast cancer is usually a lump, or
thickened area of tissue, in your breast. The majority of breast
lumps are found by the women who have them, and it is very
important that you are aware of any lumps, or changes in the
appearance, feel, or shape of your breasts. This is important
because the sooner a cancerous lump is detected, the better the
chances are that it will be treated successfully.
Breast awareness
Being breast aware means familiarising yourself with your
breasts and the changes they go through during your life. You
should know how your breasts look and feel normally so that you can
notice any changes quickly.
There is no set way to check your breasts, but you should find
time to do it on a regular basis.
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.
Changes to be aware of:
- size - if one breast becomes
larger, or lower
- nipples - if a nipple
becomes inverted (pulled in) or changes position or shape
- rashes - on or around the
nipple
- discharge - from one or both
nipples
- skin changes - puckering or
dimpling
- swelling - under the armpit
or around the collarbone
- pain - continuous, in one
part of the breast or armpit
- lump or thickening -
different to the rest of the breast tissue.
If you do notice a change in your breasts, try not to worry but
see your GP as soon as you can. Your GP may ask you to come back at
a different time in your menstrual cycle or send you to a breast
clinic in a local hospital for a more detailed examination.
Please remember: most breast changes are not
cancer, even if they need follow up treatment or further
investigation. In fact, 90% of breast lumps are benign
(non-cancerous). For example, a breast lump may be caused by a
harmless cyst (a small fluid-filled lump), or fibroadenoma (benign
growths that are very common). You may also find that your breasts
feel lumpy just before your period.
However, if you notice any changes to one, or both, of your
breasts, as listed above, you should always get it checked by your
GP.
Risk factors for breast cancer
Although the exact causes are unknown, there are known risk
factors that can influence the development of breast cancer. A risk
factor for breast cancer is something that may alter your
likelihood of developing the disease. Having one or more risk
factors does not necessarily mean that you will get breast cancer -
it means that the chances of you developing the disease are greater
or smaller.
We know that breast cancer is a complex
disease influenced by genetics, lifestyle choices and environmental
factors. Many of these factors are out of our control. Some factors
can be influenced by a change in lifestyle choices, for example
maintaining a health weight, although this may not stop breast
cancer developing. However, the main risk factors for breast cancer
are increasing age and being female.
Age
For most women, increasing age is the single bggest risk factor
for breast cancer and as a women gets older her risk of breast
cancer increases
Over 80% of all breast cancer cases in the UK are in women over
the age of 50 and breast cancer is rare in women under the age of
40. The older the woman, the higher the risk.
The chances of getting breast cancer increase as we get older
but it is important to be vigilant whatever age you are; evidence
has shown that if breast cancer is found early, there are more
treatment options and the outcome is often better.
Sex
Being a woman is one of the biggest risk factors for developing
breast cancer, although men can develop breast cancer as well.
Breast cancer is over 100 times more common in women than in men,
but each year in the UK around 300 men are diagnosed with breast
cancer. Women have more breast cells than men and these cells are
constantly exposed to female hormones that promote their growth.
However, men should be aware of any chnages and visit their GP if
they have any of the symptoms mentioned above.
For more information on breast cancer and
breast awareness, please visit the Breast Cancer Care and
Breakthrough charity
web sites:
Breast screening
Breast screening is a method of detecting
breast cancer at a very early stage. The first step involves an
x-ray of each breast - a mammogram - which is taken while carefully
compressing the breast. Most women find it a bit uncomfortable and
a few find it painful, but it does not last for long. The mammogram
can detect small changes in breast tissue which may indicate
cancers which are too small to be felt either by the woman herself
or by a doctor.
The NHS Breast Screening Programme provides
free breast screening every three years for all women in the UK
aged 50 and over. Around one-and-a-half million women are screened
in the UK each year. Women aged between 50 and 70 are now routinely
invited. The programme is a rolling one which invites women from GP
practices in turn, so not every woman will receive an invitation as
soon as she is 50, but she will receive her first invitation before
her 53rd birthday.
Women in City and Hackney are invited by the
Central and East London Breast Screening Service (CELBSS) to attend
for a breast screening appointment, usually in a mobile unit at St
Leonards hospital. Women can rearrange their appointment if the
date/time is not convenient by phoning CELBSS (020 3465
6631) or visiting their website (http://www.celbreastscreening.org.uk/).
Women can also visit a different screening unit if it is more
convenient, such as St Barts, Mile End Hospital or Whipps Cross
Hospital.
The purpose of the breast screening programme
is to help to save lives: the earlier breast cancer is detected,
the better the chances of survival. The programme in the UK has
screened more than 19 million women and has detected around 117,000
cancers.
For more information on Breast
Screening, please visit the National Breast
Screening programme web site
Or the Central and East
London Breast Screening service web site: