Having a breast screen in your forties can help save lives, according to Bupa. More than half of breast cancers the UK's leading healthcare company detected last year as part of their health assessment programme were in women under 50 years old and would not have been detected through routine NHS screening.
Breast cancer remains the most common cause of cancer in women in the UK with nearly 46,000 people diagnosed every year1. Bupa has been providing breast screening for nearly 30 years and believes that early detection is crucial.
Dr Janet Donaldson, lead physician at Bupa Health and Wellbeing UK said:It is important for all women to be breast aware. We all lead incredibly busy lives and it is only too easy to ignore minor changes, when a simple check could make a difference. Breast screening from the age of 40 gives women the best opportunity to detect any abnormalities early and offers a much greater chance of successful treatment if any are detected.
Research published by the World Health Organization shows that mammography (breast X-ray) screening saves one life in every 500 women screened2. Here are some simple steps which every woman can follow:
- Get to know your breasts. Know what they feel like when you wash, lie down, put on your bra and so on.
- If they feel odd, check them: There isn't a formal way of checking your breasts, just do whatever feels comfortable and convenient - this might be when you're getting ready for a bath, or while having a shower or you could use a mirror to view them from different angles.
- If you are concerned or notice something, don't be alarmed, but seek medical advice as soon as possible and don't worry that you may be making an unnecessary fuss. Remember most breast changes aren't cancer, but should always be followed up.
Dr Donaldson continuedMany women find the prospect of going for a mammogram daunting, but it is just an X-ray that takes only a few minutes. The benefits are significant because it can reveal abnormalities before they can be felt. If you are a woman over 50, you should definitely attend routine NHS breast screening appointments and if you're younger, consider having a regular mammography in your 40s - whatever you do, don't put it off
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Bupa's purpose is to help people lead longer, healthier, happier lives. A leading international healthcare group, we offer personal and company health insurance, run care homes for older people and hospitals, and provide workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching, and home healthcare.
With no shareholders, we invest our profits to provide more and better healthcare, and fulfill our purpose. We are committed to making quality, patient-centred, affordable healthcare more accessible in the areas of wellness, chronic disease management and ageing.
Employing more than 52,000 people, Bupa has operations around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and the USA, as well as Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and across Latin America.
For more information, visit www.bupa.com.
