Derbyshire Guardian. Issue: 9. Page 1.
Whats ON page 12
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Weddings Page 44
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Property page 53
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Your Gadget Guide page 30
Help Fight Breast Cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month This month is breast cancer awareness month and up and down the country people will be wearing pink to help promote it. UK charity Breast Cancer Care, which provides emotional and practical support for anyone affected by breast cancer, operates four national and regional centers throughout Britain to offer support and information for those who need it. It says that while the number of people being diagnosed with breast cancer is increasing, survival rates are also increasing due to a combination of factors including more targeted
treatments, earlier detection and better breast awareness. According to Breast Cancer Care: The biggest risk factor, after gender, is increasing age – 80% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. Breast cancer is not one single disease there are several types of breast cancer. Not all breast cancers show as a lump, and not all breast lumps are breast cancer. Less than 10% of all breast cancers run in families, so having someone in your family with breast cancer doesn’t necessarily mean your own risk is increased. Breast cancer also affects men, but it’s rare – around 400 men are diagnosed each year. There are nearly 55,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year which is the equivalent of one person every 10 minutes. One in eight women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and it will claim nearly 12,000 lives in the UK every year. The charity said: “Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women in the UK, after
lung cancer. “Of adults aged between 25-49, breast cancer accounts for 45% of all female
cancers.” It says women (and men) should regularly check their breasts for signs of anything unusual. The charity says: “There’s no right or wrong way to check your breasts. Try to get used to looking at and feeling your breasts regularly. Remember to check all parts of your breast, your armpits and up to your collarbone.” It says people would be especially alert for: Changes in size or shape. Changes in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling. Inverted nipple. A lump or thickening of breast tissue. Redness or a rash on the skin/around the nipple. Discharge from one or both nipples. Constant pain in breast or armpit. Swelling in armpit/around collarbone.