Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022 – the importance of prevention

Posted: 28/10/2022

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a worldwide annual campaign, involving thousands of organisations, to highlight the importance of breast cancer awareness, education and research, and how we can act to prevent breast cancer. Some of the main UK charities involved include Breast Cancer UK, Breast Cancer Now and the WearItPink campaign.

With around 150 women diagnosed every day, and a further 350 men diagnosed every year, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, reports Cancer Research UK. It is more common in women who are aged 50 and over.

Breast Cancer UK highlights that while not all breast cancer cases are preventable, studies show that at least 30% of breast cancer cases are preventable. By making changes to your lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer.

There’s also good news in that statistics now show that around two-thirds of women survive 20 years or more after diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. In large part this is due to crucial investment in research and treatments, as well as the national screening programme.

Lucie Prothero, senior associate in the clinical negligence team at Penningtons Manches Cooper, who acts for many clients with breast cancer, comments: “We fully support Breast Cancer Awareness Month’s campaign to increase awareness of breast cancer, promote lifestyle changes to decrease the risks of cancer and raise funds for top level research to fight the disease.

“As with most cancers, the key to greater survival prospects is normally early detection, so improving public awareness and encouraging regular self-checking couldn’t be more important. Every day we are working with clients who are suffering with breast cancer, often where the disease has spread to other parts of the body, which usually signifies a poorer long-term prognosis.

“Sadly, we sometimes see the terrible outcome of delayed diagnosis of breast cancers. It is fair to say that a factor contributing to delayed diagnosis of cancer can be a lack of awareness by the patient about the signs and symptoms to be worried about, and the need to see their GP promptly when symptoms persist. We receive many enquiries from people with breast cancer (or their families) who are concerned that the opportunity for an earlier diagnosis was missed. Often in circumstances where there is a claim for negligence, the patient may not have been properly investigated for a breast lump, or the results of investigations haven’t been properly reported or followed up. 

“But it is also true that in many cases, if the patients had been checking their breasts regularly and/or proactively seeking GP review of their symptoms, then subtle breast changes might have been spotted sooner, which would have given them a greater chance of successful treatment.”

For more information on this year’s campaign and what you can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer, please visit Breast Cancer UK’s website.

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