This month we are going to look at breast cancer awareness. On the 22nd of October this year ‘Wear it Pink’ day comes back around, and so we thought it would be a good idea to take a deeper look into breast cancer and awareness around it.
This year will be the 20th year of fundraising for wear it pink, with over 36 million pounds raised since the campaign began, helping so many people with all the research it has contributed towards.
If you want to hear more about Wear it Pink Day, you can click on the following link: https://www.wearitpink.org/about
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, with around 150 women being diagnosed each day, which is a staggeringly high amount, and although it is rarer around 390 men can be diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK per year too.
The statistics on breast cancer alone are one of the reasons why fundraising happens every year, to help tackle and research cancer and different treatments with the ultimate goal of saving as many lives as possible along the way. It is because of all of the fundraising that happens, such as this month’s Wear it Pink day, that survival in cancer patients has doubled over the last 40 years – so make sure to donate and help wherever you can, and most importantly of all you need to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer so you can keep an eye out for them. Sometimes these symptoms will not mean anything, but it is always best to get any significant changes checked by a Doctor.
Signs and symptoms to look out for include:
- A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit
- A change to the skin, such as puckering or dimpling
- A change in the colour of the breast – the breast may look red or inflamed
- A nipple change, for example it has become pulled in (inverted)
- Rash or crusting around the nipple
- Unusual liquid (discharge) from either nipple
- Changes in size or shape of the breast
If you’re interested in hearing more about breast cancer, or the fundraising attempts that are going ahead, you can look at the following links:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-cancer/
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/breast-cancer
People with breast cancer need us – whether it is through support or help with fundraising, and that’s why this October you should show your support by wearing pink on the 22nd October and donating if you can.
