"I'm young, I eat well...and here I am": Amesbury mum urging us to check for signs of breast cancer
New research reveals 1 in 4 women are not confident they could spot signs
Last updated 3rd Oct 2022
A mum of two from Amesbury is hoping to inspire more young women and men to self-check for breast cancer, after being recently diagnosed with it herself.
It comes as new research commissioned by beauty brand Avon reveals that only a third of women have checked their breasts in the last month for signs of the disease.
Even when checking, one in every four women admit that they're not confident that they could spot signs of breast cancer.
The research also highlights the need for more awareness of the breast cancer among men, after it showed that 30% of younger men do not think they can get it.
The figures are based on a survey of 2,054 UK adults, including 1037 women and 1017 men - aged between 16 and 55, undertaken at the end of August 2022.
"It doesn't discriminate"
Sarah Tucker, aged 34, is a mum of two from Amesbury. She was breastfeeding her youngest when she noticed a lump in one of her breasts, and went to the doctors to get it checked out.
It turned out the lump was a blocked milk duct and it collapsed shortly after having biopsies taken. But it was in fact caused by cancer cells in her breast, the doctors explained.
"I was very confident with my age and breastfeeding that (the lump) was going to me milk-related", says Sarah.
"But the weird thing is, the actual lump that I had initially did actually collapse. It wasn't the cancer, but the cancer was lurking nearby and caused this blockage. So if it wasn't for me breastfeeding, who knows when I would have have noticed anything."
Other findings in the research by Avon, show that nearly one in 10 women are at increased risk of breast cancer due to having never undertaken a self-check.
Of the women who do not check their breasts for changes at least monthly, over half (57%) say it is because they forget to check, while one in five say they do not know what to check for, with the highest percentage coming from 25–34-year-olds (32%).
The analysis highlights that education is required the most amongst the younger generation with nearly 30% of 16–24-year-old men saying it is not possible for men to develop breast cancer.
Whilst the majority of men may be aware of their breast cancer risks, this is not mirrored when it comes to taking action and checking; 65% said they do not check themselves for breast cancer symptoms.
With one in seven women diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime and early detection critical, women and men are being encouraged to self-check their breasts as part of their monthly routine.
Dr Frankie Jackson-Spence, NHS Doctor, comments:
“Early detection of breast cancer is crucial, particularly as research shows that 23% of breast cancer cases in the UK are preventable.
“Everyone’s boobs are different in terms of size, shape and consistency - that’s normal.
“But it means that when it comes to checking, it is not possible to tell you what your ‘normal’ should look and feel like.
“Instead, it is important that you watch out for any changes, which could be an indication of cancer.
Sarah says that since being diagnosed with breast cancer, and creating a campaign to raise funds for Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides wigs to children with cancer, several young women have reached out to her, to share their own experiences of being diagnosed in their late 20s/early 30s.
Sarah says it's important to remember that cancer doesn't discriminate:
"When you're told you got cancer, you just think... how could this be happening to me, I'm only 34. I've never smoked, I've never done drugs, I'm healthy, I work out, I eat really well... It doesn't discriminate.
"You have to keep checking (for breast cancer signs). If you have breasts you are at risk, as far as I'm concerned, no matter what age or anything."
"It's a good way of becoming aware of your own body, of what was there before, what's new. And if you pick up on something, no matter how silly you think it its, just go there (to your GP), let the professionals do their job and tell you if it's something to worry about.