Lincolnshire NHS backs breast cancer awareness month

More than 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, and one in eight UK women will develop breast cancer at some point in their life, with the risk increasing with age.

Most women will survive breast cancer if it is detected and treated early, and an estimated five out of six women diagnosed with breast cancer in England and Wales survive for at least five years.

In many cases, breast cancer is detected by women noticing unusual changes in their breast and taking the initiative to visit their GP.

Changes can include lumps, breast pain, changes in texture of the skin or unusual discharge, and all women should check themselves regularly so that anything unusual can be checked.

Currently, women aged 50-70 who are registered with a GP are automatically invited for breast screening every three years.

In England, the NHS has extended this age range so that women aged 47 to 73 are to be invited for screening.

Around 350 UK men are also diagnosed with breast cancer each year.