Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Know The Facts

To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to support conversations about breast cancer awareness and early diagnosis, the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) has produced a new leaflet bringing together clear, reliable information about breast cancer, breast awareness and screening.

The leaflet, Know the Facts, has been designed to help people better understand breast cancer, recognise the importance of being breast aware and know when to seek medical advice. It provides straightforward information on who can be affected by breast cancer, factors that may influence risk, signs and changes to look out for, when to contact a GP, and the role of breast screening.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK and around 59,400 people are diagnosed each year, including approximately 59,000 women and 420 men. 

Being breast aware means knowing what is normal for you. Recognising changes early can help support earlier diagnosis, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

Breast screening also plays an important role in detecting breast cancers at an early stage, often before symptoms develop. In the UK, routine mammography screening is usually offered to women aged 50 to 70 every three years, although some people may be offered screening earlier if they are at higher risk.

The leaflet also highlights that breast cancer affects people from all ethnic backgrounds, although incidence, age at diagnosis and outcomes can vary between communities. Improving awareness and reducing inequalities in access to care can help support earlier diagnosis and better outcomes for all.