Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Anyone registered with a GP as female will be invited for NHS breast screening every 3 years between the ages of 50 and 71.
You’ll get a letter in the post inviting you.
When you’ll be invited, you’ll automatically get your first invite for breast screening between the ages of 50 and 53. Then you’ll be invited every 3 years until you turn 71.
If you’re a trans man, trans woman or are non-binary you may be invited automatically, or you may need to talk to your GP surgery or call the local breast screening service to ask for an appointment. You need to be registered with a GP surgery to be invited for breast screening.
If you have not been sent a letter
If you have not been invited for breast screening by the time you are 53 and think you should have been, contact your local breast screening service. Find breast screening services If you are 71 or over You will not automatically be invited for breast screening if you are 71 or over. But you can still have breast screening every 3 years if you want to. You will need to call your local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.
Every October, people all over the world show their support for everyone affected by breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed around the world.
Every year in the UK, around 55,000 women and 500 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer – 1 in 7 women are affected by breast cancer during their lifetime.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about reducing the number of deaths caused by breast cancer each year, by educating people on how to spot the signs and catch the disease early on. As breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
The earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat and the higher the chance of successful treatment. Regular breast screening is an opportunity to detect any irregularities at the earliest possible stage.
Breast screening can detect breast cancer before any obvious symptoms develop, so it is important to ensure that you attend your regular screening mammograms.
Symptoms of breast cancer include:
- A lump or swelling in your breast, upper chest or armpit
- Changes to your skin, this may be dimpling or puckering
- Changes to the colour of your breast, your breast may look red or inflamed
- Changes in the size or shape of your breasts, it’s normal to have slight differences between your breasts, but if you notice any changes to the shape and size of your breasts, get them checked
- A rash or crusting around your nipple
- Changes to your nipple, your nipple may have become inverted (pulled in)
- Discharge from your nipples, you may notice an unusual liquid from either nipple If you have noticed a breast lump or change, or have any new, persistent or unusual symptoms, do not delay in speaking to your GP.
First steps – finding out about your family history If you are concerned about breast cancer in your family, you should first talk to your GP.
They should ask whether you have first-degree blood relatives (mother, sister, daughter, father, brother, son) or second-degree blood relatives (aunt, uncle, grandparent, niece, nephew, half-sister, half-brother) who have had breast cancer or other cancers (this is called ‘taking a family history’).
For each blood relative who has had a cancer, your GP will want to know as much of the following as possible.
• Their relationship to you (mother, sister, daughter, father, brother, son, aunt, uncle, grandparent, niece, nephew, half-sister, half-brother).
• The age at which their cancers (not just breast cancer) were diagnosed.
• Where in their body the cancer started (for example, the breast or ovaries).
• Whether the same family member has had more than 1 cancer, including whether they have had breast cancer in both breasts (known as bilateral breast cancer).
Your GP will want to know if a faulty gene has already been identified in your family.
Your GP will also ask about your ethnic background because people from a Jewish background are more likely to carry the faulty genes, which may put them at higher risk of breast cancer. If your family history matches any of the examples shown in the table below, your GP should offer you a referral to a service with specialist skills in estimating breast cancer risk.