manchester

healthy options

illnesses and conditions

Breast Cancer

ONE in 10 women will develop breast cancer at some time in their lives.

It is the commonest cancer in women in the UK, accounting for one in four of all female cancers, with more than 35,300 new cases each year diagnosed - 2,000 of them here in the north-west.

But treatment is far more successful when breast cancer is found at an early stage and it is vital for women to check themselves regularly, look out for the warning signs and not ignore these, but to take immediate action when they suspect something is wrong.

The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. Around 90% of women diagnosed with the disease are over 45 and more than half are over 60, but it can affect younger women, and some women inherit genes which give them a high risk of developing the disease.

So its vital for all women to look out for symptoms and act speedily if they find any.

Medical advice on self-examination has recently changed. Women used to be told to examine themselves once a month and were particularly warned to look out for lumps.

Now the advice is to do a check as part of your regular routine of bathing or showering, because many find this easiest to do when washing, using a soapy hand.

By being familiar with how your breasts usually look and feel, you are more likely to be able to spot any changes. What is important is to know what is normal for you and be aware of any unusual changes, especially if they occur on one side, or persist after a couple of weeks.

If you do spot changes, try not to panic. Most abnormalities are not due to cancer, but it is important to have the changes checked by a doctor.

And the advice is not just to look for lumps, but any change.

A cancer prevention centre for Manchester

Experts are aiming to establish Europe's first breast cancer prevention centre in Manchester which will be headed by the Christie Hospital's Professor Tony Howell, the UK's first professor of cancer prevention.

Fund-raising for the £5m for the centre which will house one of the most ambitious breast cancer research programmes in the world, was launched last Autumn by the Genesis Appeal whose hotline number is 0161 232 2233.

Links