SELF checking is still the most powerful weapon in the battle against breast cancer, a leading Worcester consultant has explained.
Speaking during Breast Cancer Awareness Month which began on Sunday, consultant breast surgeon Steven Thrush also revealed the three main risk factors when it comes to developing breast cancer – unfortunately there is very little city residents can do about any of them.
However, regular self-checks and an awareness of what to look out for can help keep the number of successful breast cancer treatments on the rise, said Mr Thrush.
“The main risk is, unsurprisingly, being a woman,” he explained.
“Over 99 per cent of new cases of breast cancer are in women and there isn’t much you can do about that!
“The second is getting older – more than 80 per cent of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50 and the third is significant family history – although this isn’t as common as some may think, with around five per cent of people diagnosed with breast cancer having inherited a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.”
But Mr Thrush, a consultant at Spire South Bank Hospital on Bath Road, stressed early action was still the biggest weapons in a woman’s armoury when it comes to beating the disease and keeping treatment success figures on the rise.
Figures from Cancer Research UK show around eight out of 10 women in England survive their disease for ten years or more, compared with four out of 10 in the 1970s.
Figures for surviving for five years or more are even higher with 87 per cent of women surviving beyond that date.
“Without any doubt early detection leads to better treatment results. That means we need to ensure that every woman knows how to carry out effective self-check procedures and, just as importantly, what to do if she thinks something is wrong.
“It is important to get an early appointment with a GP to discuss the matter. The patient will then receive informed advice and, if necessary, be placed on the correct healthcare for treatment,” said Mr Thrush
Although finding a lump in your breast does not always signify breast cancer it is important women ‘get to know’ their breasts so they could spot changes.
“Many women will experience lumpy breasts just before their period; often this disappears after the period. However, it is important to keep checking and if the lump doesn’t go away then get it checked out by your GP,” said Mr Thrush.
Despite increasing survival rates CRUK says about 60,000 people in the UK are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer every year, resulting in around 12,000 deaths.
