The Manx Breast Unit at Noble’s Hospital recently held a Breast Awareness Day to remind women, especially younger ones, to check their breasts and look out for changes that might need to be investigated further, writes Julie Blackburn.

It’s one of the more common cancers: one in eight people will get breast cancer, and its symptoms have been widely publicised.

So you might think that everyone knows what to look for and takes the time to check their breasts regularly.

Dr Rebecca Miller, consultant radiologist at Noble’s, says: ’I think people talk about breast cancer; I think people are very afraid of breast cancer, and I think it’s important that we get people to understand breast awareness and not be afraid to come and seek advice if they are concerned about something.

’Essentially what we want to do is for people to be aware of the unit, and be breast aware, so they know what to look for and they’re not frightened to look for it.’

Dr Miller went on to explain that the majority of people who have breast problems don’t have breast cancer but that it’s important to seek medical advice to rule it out.

The Breast Awareness Day was organised by Manx Breast Cancer Support Group, the charity which, with the help of many local people, raised the money to build and equip the breast unit and, as Dr Miller pointed out: ’The unit’s here: you guys have raised the money for it so use it.

’It’s a fantastic facility. We’ve got the facilities, we’ve got the expertise and we’ve got the willingness to try and see people.’

Women in the island are invited for routine breast screening from the age of 50 and each year around 7,500 will attend the unit.

A further 4,000 will go because they have symptoms that need to be checked out.

Although it is still quite rare for younger women, those under 45, to develop breast cancer, because they are not routinely screened it is important that they should get any worrying symptoms investigated.

Several younger breast cancer sufferers, including Cara Qualtrough who was diagnosed aged just 29, were at the Breast Awareness Day to help get this message across.

Dr Miller said that GPs are also much more aware nowadays that younger women’s symptoms should be checked out: ’I think most of the GPs are actually very good these days.

’Most of them are so much more clued up now that they’ll send people here at the drop of a hat, which is what we want.

’I also think young women are much more empowered than they used to be and will persist if they have a concern.

’The problem we have is that young women are very busy: they’re all working, they’ve got families and actually they’re busy thinking about other people so if somebody says to them: "That’s fine, you’re probably OK", they are less likely to go back because they’ve got other priorities.’

Dr Miller went on to explain that, equally, women should not be concerned if their GP suggests waiting a month before doing any further investigations.

She said: ’That’s a sensible option because a lot of people’s breasts change: give it one phase of your menstrual cycle and see if it’s gone down and if it hasn’t then come back.’

Dr Miller has been doing talks about breast awareness at Ballakermeen High School.

She explained: ’We did some myth busting because they’re all on Facebook so they read all things there and not all of it is real. So we talked about things that actually don’t have any impact on breast cancer and things that maybe they should be aware of.’

Dr Miller added that the point of the talks, apart from making teenagers breast aware, was to get them to reassure any of their older relatives, mothers, grandmothers or older sisters, who may have breast problems that are causing them concern, that they should go and get them looked at.

She said: ’A lot of people [who come to the unit] say: "I’m really sorry I’m wasting your time" and we say: "You’re never wasting our time".

’We want people to use the service. We want to be able to say to you: "you’re fine", and if there’s a problem we want to deal with it as quickly as possible.’