Breast Cancer
1st October 2025
October is Breast cancer Awareness Month in the UK
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK with 56,000 new cases diagnosed each year. What this boils down to is one in seven women will get breast cancer in their lifetime.
Whilst that is a very scary statistic, it doesn’t mean it is all bad news. Many breast cancer cases are treatable and we have the highest survival rate now than ever before. In the UK approximately 76.6% of women survive breast cancer for 10 or more years. Survival rates are higher for younger individuals, with 5-year survival rates for those diagnosed before age 45 being around 88%.
But survival relies on early detection and regular breast checks are the key to early diagnosis and therefore early treatment. In the UK the NHS offers 3 yearly breast screening or mammograms to all women aged between 50 and 70 years old. Mammograms are x-rays of the breast and this screening program has played a key part in early detection of breast cancer cases and is thought to prevent over 1300 deaths a year from breast cancer.
The idea of breast cancer awareness month is to make all women think about breast cancer and empower women to check their own breasts and seek medical advice if they have any concerns.
https://www.breastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-awareness-month
Websites like know your lemons aim to increase awareness about the symptoms and signs of breast cancer.
https://www.knowyourlemons.org/
Breast cancer symptoms include:
· a lump in the breast or armpit,
· a change in the size or shape of the breast,
· skin changes like dimpling or thickening,
· nipple changes (inward turning, discharge, rash),
· persistent breast pain
These could all be signs of breast cancer and if you have any concerns, please see a medical professional immediately.
At GP Care Now, we can perform a breast examination and arrange any necessary further investigations or a breast clinic referral if necessary.