25% of NI women don't know how to examine their breasts

Despite the high profile of breast cancer and the 900 cases diagnosed each year, 25% of local women admit that they still don't know how to examine their breasts.

This statistic was just one of the surprise findings of a survey carried out by leading local charity, Action Cancer, to launch its annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign.

Launching this year's programme of activity for the campaign, Action Cancer also revealed that of the women who claimed to know how to examine their breasts, almost two thirds (60%) didn't know the best time of the month to do so.

Commenting on the results, Action Cancer's Director of Services Liz Atkinson said: "The results of our Breast Cancer Awareness survey clearly show that there is still much to be done in terms of informing local women about breast awareness.

"This year we will be focusing on just four essential things every woman should know - how to be really breast aware, the importance of mammograms, the rising rate of success in treating breast cancer and finally, the importance of passing this life saving information to other women."

The Action Cancer survey also revealed confusion about the age women believed they should start thinking about going for a mammogram. The survey showed that 21% thought that 30 was the right age to start thinking about going for a mammogram regularly with only a third opting for 50, the current starting age for the NHS Screening Programme.

Action Cancer currently screens women from the age of 45 and works closely with colleagues in the NHS Screening Programme to help target areas of low screening uptake for both breast and cervical cancer.

(MB)