A local GP and clinical lead for cancer is calling on all people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to be aware of the main warning signs of breast cancer as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast cancer can be caught sooner if people are familiar with their breasts or chest area.
That's why Dr Stuti Mukherjee, clinical lead for cancer with NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, is encouraging everyone in the area to learn how to check their breasts or chest area regularly.
Dr Stuti Mukherjee said: "Breast cancer can affect anyone – regardless of your gender, age, or cultural background.
"This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to encourage everyone in our area to get more breast-aware.
"You'll be better able to spot any changes in your breasts or chest area if you're familiar with what your body normally looks and feels like.
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"So please take a few minutes to get up close and personal with your breasts this October – it could save your life."
How to spot the signs
The first sign of breast cancer that people notice is often a physical change in their breasts or chest area.
This can take the form of a lump or an area of thicker tissue, a change in skin texture, a change in the overall shape of the breasts or chest, swelling in the armpit or around the collarbone, changes in the appearance of the nipple, or a clear or blood-stained discharge.
People may also feel a pain in their breast.
Most of the time, breast pain is caused by a condition other than cancer, but if you do feel pain in your breasts or chest, the public is urged to get it checked out by a medical professional immediately
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Whilst women are more at risk of developing breast cancer, the illness can also affect men.
Men and women are encouraged to regularly feel and look at their chest, which can be done simply whilst showering, bathing, lying in bed, or even watching a film on the sofa.
Further tips on how to check your breasts or chest and what to look out for can be found on the NHS website.
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