Keeping Abreast of Cancer - 
Could you and your bloke be at risk?

by Sarah Dobbs

What on earth could Melinda Messenger and Gloria Hunniford possibly have in common?

 Answer: They both supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). Here’s why you and your man should also get ‘breast aware’. 

1) 1 in 15000 women in the UK under 25 will get breast cancer every year
2) 200-250 men are also diagnosed with the illness and 100 die of it every year

‘Numb, frightened, disbelieving’

Andrea was only 44 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. ‘I was considered young to contract the disease,’ she says. ‘I remember feeling numb, frightened…disbelieving. It was especially hard for me as I was on my own.’ She was treated swiftly - within two weeks. ‘Most of my left breast was removed,’ says Andrea, followed by six months of chemotherapy and seven weeks of simultaneous radiotherapy. I was also prescribed Tamoxifen to reduce the chance of spreading.’ Andrea is now in remission, although she still suffers from extreme fatigue and has been diagnosed with osteoporosis (brittle bones) and arthritis as a result of the chemotherapy.

Nine out of ten lumps are NOT breast cancer.

Andrea was unlucky that her lump turned out to be malignant. A spokeswoman from Breakthrough is keen to point out that ‘nine out of ten lumps are not breast cancer’. Susan was 40 when she found a lump in her breast. ‘I just thought I had breast cancer. Everyone always thinks the worst,’ she says. It was a long four months after finding the lump that she finally had surgery. ‘The doctor was certain it wasn’t cancer so they gave me antibiotics to try and reduce the swelling in my breast. When that didn’t work they referred me to Wigan hospital. Thankfully the lump was nothing more serious than a blocked milk duct.’ 

Susan thinks more should be done to make women under 25 more women breast aware. ‘There’s just not enough information about breast cancer for the under 25’s. They should have regular awareness classes at doctor’s surgeries. Nurses could teach young women how to do self-examinations.’ It’s a good idea. She also believes that changing the name of male breast cancer to chest cancer - ‘or something with less stigma’ - may save lives, as men might not be so backward at coming forward if they find a lump. 

It is shocking that men also get breast cancer

Although it is shocking that men also get breast cancer, Annie Angle - Senior Information Nurse from The Cancer Research Campaign - says that ‘male breast cancer is very rare with only about 250 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK’. This may be true but it is clear that men need to know they are at risk. Likewise with women. The majority of women who get breast cancer are either post-menopausal or over 50 (the actual figure is 80%). But just like cleansing, toning and moisturising you’re never too young to start being breast aware. ‘Breast care education is essential and encouraging young women to get into the habit of self-examination is excellent,’ says Ginny Scrope from Against Breast Cancer (ABC).

How can I prevent myself from getting breast cancer?

You can’t. The only thing you can do is perform regular self-examinations. Helen Lynn, Health Coordinator for the Women’s Environmental Network representative, thinks that’s not enough. ‘Self-examination is of course preferable to mammography but we would rather more work be done on stopping breast cancer starting in the first place,’ says Lynn. But until this is done, do ensure you examine your breasts - or chest area - regularly. Here are Breakthrough’s unisex tips for self-examination.

Do Look for : Changes in the outline/shape of the breast
Dimpling or puckering of the skin
Lumps or bumpy areas in the breast or armpit
Nipple discharge that is NOT milky and IS new to you
Bleeding or moist reddish areas around the breast that won’t heal easily
Nipple rash or inversion of the nipple

Don't believe myths: Not using deodorant won’t reduce the chances of breast cancer
And neither will not wearing under wired bras

Help! I’ve found a lump - what do I do?

Don’t panic! Just make an appointment with your GP. Health Minister John Hutton assures us the government are ‘committed to making the necessary resources available…so that people facing this trauma have the full support of the NHS’. Furthermore, the NHS Cancer Plan states that there should be no more than one month’s wait from diagnosis to treatment of breast cancer. In other words, you’ll probably be surprised by how quickly you are treated and how seriously you are taken.

How can I help promote breast cancer awareness for younger women and men?

Jerry McDonald, president of Avon Cosmetics in the UK hopes their KISS campaign will help ‘to take some of the fear away from the disease by dispelling the more widely held myths’. Here’s some easy - and fashionable - ways that you can also do your bit.
· Bag yourself one of Avon’s limited edition KISS products. The exclusive face towel ‘kissed’ by each member of Steps is our favourite. A bargain at £2.99.
· Get glam with the new sparkly ribbons from Breakthrough and Breast Cancer Care. Buy them at places like Warehouse, Whistles and Cineworld cinemas.
· Pick up a pink Breakthrough t-shirt (£14, Warehouse). All proceeds go to Breakthrough.

Remember breast awareness is for life, not just for October.

Helpful contacts:
Against Breast Cancer (ABC): 01235 820777; www.aabc.co.uk
Breakthrough: 020 7405 5111; www.breakthrough.org.uk
Women’s Environmental Network (WEN): 020 7481 9004: www.wen.org.uk
The Cancer Research Campaign: 0207 3175027; www.crc.org.uk