New research from Breakthrough Breast Cancer reveals only 35% of women check their breasts regularly for crucial cancer signs

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is urging as many people as possible to Talk TLC and spread the charity’s vital breast awareness message - Show your breasts some TLC: Touch your breasts. Look for changes. Check anything unusual with your doctor, following research published today, 11 September, which reveals only 35% of women in the UK check their breasts regularly.

Breakthrough hopes at least 46,000 people – the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed in the UK each year – will take up the charity’s challenge to Talk TLC this October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, by visiting touchlookcheck.org.uk and making a pledge to encourage the women in their lives to get into the habit of regularly showing their breasts some TLC as early diagnosis of breast cancer offers the best chance of successful treatment.

Breast cancer is now the UK’s most common cancer but Breakthrough’s survey of 2,005 women aged between 18 and 64, also reveals that:

• Nearly one in four women (23%) rarely or never check their breasts for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer
• 71% of women who say they rarely or never check their breasts either forget or simply never think about it
• Over a third (37%) of women who report not checking their breasts regularly say it's because they don’t know how to check or what to look out for.

Dr Sarah Cant, Policy Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says:

“We know that the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed the more likely it is that treatment will be successful. Showing your breasts some TLC by regularly touching, looking for changes and checking anything unusual out with your doctor, and attending breast screening if you are over 50, are the best ways to ensure this. 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. You can do this in any way that makes you feel comfortable - in the bath or shower, when dressing, standing or lying down. If you find any unusual changes or are worried by anything, you should talk to your GP straight away.

“Every year in the UK nearly 46,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer.  This October we want to ensure that at least 46,000 people visit touchlookcheck.org.uk and pledge to encourage the women in their lives to show their breasts some TLC.

Breakthrough’s survey results also show that confusion still exists among women when it comes to naming signs and symptoms of breast cancer. While the majority of women (88%) Breakthrough asked recognised lumps as a possible sign of the disease, most women did not know about the other signs only:

• 12% identified changes in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling of the skin
• 7% knew about a sudden inversion of the nipple
• Just over a quarter (26%) recognised discharge from the nipple
• 8% could identify changes in the appearance or direction of the nipple
• 5% recognised that changes in the size or shape of the breast might be a sign
• 4% knew about lumpy areas or unusual thickenings.

However, all of these could be crucial signs of the disease and should be reported to a GP as soon as possible

GMTV’s Dr Hilary Jones is supporting Breakthrough’s Talk TLC campaign and says:

“We know that the earlier that breast cancer is diagnosed the more likely it is that treatment will be successful but research published by Breakthrough Breast Cancer shows that many women are still not checking their breasts for the signs of breast cancer. That’s why I am supporting Breakthrough's Talk TLC campaign to encourage as many people as possible to visit touchlookcheck.org.uk and spread Breakthrough’s simple yet crucial breast awareness message: Show your breasts some TLC: Touch your breasts. Look for changes. Check anything unusual with your doctor."

TV presenter Gaby Roslin also backs Breakthrough’s campaign to encourage breast awareness saying:

“Through my work with the charity I have a constant reminder to show my breasts some TLC and can appreciate the importance of being breast aware. I’m 100% behind the Talk TLC campaign and will be passing on the message to everyone I know to be breast aware, and asking them to do the same. I pledge to do this, not only as a supporter of Breakthrough but also as mother of two who feels passionately that we should make the effort to look after our own health, the health of our friends and family and that of future generations.”

Ali Bastian says:

“As someone who knows all too well the devastating effects of breast cancer, I can really appreciate how important it is to be breast aware. By showing your breasts some TLC and passing on the message to other women, whether it be your mum, sister or gran, you can help take care of not only your own health but also of those you care about.”

Avon Cosmetics, Breakthrough’s longest standing charity partner, has also pledged to join the charity’s Talk TLC campaign and have challenged all 170,000 Avon Representatives to Talk TLC to 10 customers this October. The company aims to reach at least 1.7 million women in the UK with the charity’s vital health messages.

To find out more about Breakthrough’s Talk TLC campaign and how to spread the charity’s breast awareness message visit touchlookcheck.org.uk

• The survey results come from Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s 2008 Breast Health Promotion Survey - a quantitative online survey of 2,005 UK women aged 18-64,carried out between May and June 2008 by Research Now!
• Breakthrough Breast Cancer is the UK’s leading breast cancer charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research, campaigning and education. In 1999 Breakthrough established the UK’s first dedicated breast cancer research centre. The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre is housed in the Mary-Jean Mitchell Green building at The Institute of Cancer Research and was set up in association with the Royal Marsden Hospital. Breakthrough is opening three new research units in Edinburgh, London and Manchester in 2008.

For further information about Breakthrough or breast cancer please visit breakthrough.org.uk or call the charity’s free information line on 08080 100 200. 

Changes in the breast to look out for include:

• Size or shape - e.g. one breast might become larger or lower than the other.
• Skin texture - such as puckering or dimpling of the skin.
• Appearance or direction of nipple - e.g. one nipple might become inverted (turned-in).
• Discharge - one or both nipples might discharge a blood-stained liquid.
• Rash or crusting of the nipple or surrounding area.
• Lump in the breast or armpit.
• Lumpy area or unusual thickening of breast tissue that doesn't go away after your period.
• Pain in part of the breast or armpit that is unrelated to periods.

Remember that nine out of ten breast lumps are not cancerous.