Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Breast Cancer News

Many Women In U.K. Lack Knowledge Of Breast Cancer Symptoms, Survey Suggests

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 25 Sep 2007 - 4:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions
Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:5 stars

5 (1 votes)

Health Professional:5 stars

5 (1 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

About 87% of women in the United Kingdom regularly check for lumps in the breast, but many lack knowledge about the full range of symptoms of breast cancer, according to a survey conducted by the organization Breakthrough Breast Cancer, BBC News reports. The organization surveyed 1,190 women older than age 50 in the United Kingdom.

According to the survey:

  • 81% of the women wrongly believed a mole on the breast could be a symptom of breast cancer;

  • About one-quarter wrongly believed having a persistent cough was a symptom;

  • About one-third wrongly believed that an extra nipple was linked to breast cancer;

  • Only 10% of the respondents said they looked for inversion of the nipple;

  • 14% looked for changes in the skin on the breasts;

  • 16% checked for discharge from the nipple;

  • 22% looked for changes in the appearance of the nipple;

  • 23% looked for changes in the size or shape of the breast; and

  • A little more than half checked for lumps in the armpit.
  • Recommendations
    Breakthrough Breast Cancer is calling on general practitioners in the country to help eliminate the confusion about breast cancer symptoms and increase detection rates, BBC News reports. The survey found that half of women age 70 and older were unaware that they could continue to receive no-cost breast screening by making their own appointments through their doctor or local breast screening facility. About 88% of women in the age group reported that since turning 70 their doctors or surgeons had not discussed this option with them.

    Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said, "It's clear that despite breast cancer now being the most common cancer in the United Kingdom, women remain extremely confused about what they should be looking out for, with their focus still very much on feeling for breast lumps." He added that the group would like to see more practitioners making patients ages 70 and older "aware that they can, and should, make their own regular breast screening appointments." Hughes said that it is "important to remember that the earlier breast cancer is detected and treated the better the chances of survival" (BBC News, 9/20).

    Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


    Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
    Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

    Ophthalmology Urology
    About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

    add medical news today to your facebook
    medical news gadget

    Haiti Appeal

    Haiti Appeal Image
    The severe earthquake that struck Haiti has inflicted damage and devastation on a massive scale. Please donate to the Doctors Without Borders Haiti Appeal.

    PLEASE DONATE HERE


    These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
    Top Article Star
    New Route To Potential Breast Cancer Cure Discovered
    26 Aug 2009
    UK scientists have discovered a new route to a potential cure for breast cancer, one that focuses on how the cancer manipulates genetic pathways to spread through the body, rather than on how tumors develop in the first place...


    Stages of Breast Cancer image Stages of Breast Cancer

    Breast cancer stages tell us the characteristics of the cancer and if it has spread beyond the breast tissue. Doctors can use this information to guide treatment decisions. Learn how staging is vital in determining next steps...

    Early-stage Breast Cancer image Early-stage Breast Cancer

    Finding out you have early-stage breast cancer can be overwhelming. But you can get a handle on the disease by learning some very crucial things about your own cancer. Getting the proper tests to determine the stage and characteristics of your cancer can help dictate what treatments are...

    View more videos...