Put your ‘breast’ foot forward

Tag: breast

February 8, 2016

Put your ‘breast’ foot forward

A new study has reported that breastfeeding could save the lives of thousands of children worldwide. It could prevent over 800,000 children from dying and could also prevent an extra 22,000 deaths from breast cancer each year.

The study also looked at the reasons why many women do not breastfeed and these include: little support from the mother’s own community, particular government policies, and the marketing practices of the formula milk manufacturers.

Worldwide, the rates for breastfeeding appear high: 80% but drops to just 37% in low and middle income countries. In high income countries such as the UK, under 1% of babies were breastfed up until their first birthday. This figure was approximately 2% in Ireland. The study authors concluded that more work needs to be done to improve government breastfeeding policies and support within the general community.

Breastfeeding in the UK Black community has been investigated in a previous study. Figures showed that over 90% of Black African and Black Caribbean mothers start breastfeeding compared to just 67% of white mothers. Black African mothers in particular were 5 times more likely to breastfeed than white mothers. Any new government breastfeeding policy should also specifically look at maintaining and improving breastfeeding rates within the UK Black community.

You can read more about this report here and here

By Lake Health and Wellbeing

BlogCancer Blogs

April 10, 2015

Can I still have a mammogram if I have breast implants?

We were recently asked about breast implants and mammograms and in today’s blog we thought we’d address this.

A mammogram is an X-ray that is used during the breast screening process to detect breast cancer at a very early stage and hence aims to give women with breast cancer the best chance of survival. During a mammogram X-rays are passed through the breast in order to generate images (radiographs) of each breast. If a tumour, cyst or calcium deposits are present this will be detected as bright spots on the radiographs.

Image credit: Prague Beauty

When a woman has a breast implant (breast augmentation/ enlargement), the implant is inserted between her breast tissue and chest muscle or behind her chest muscle. The implant may make a mammogram less effective at detecting breast cancer as it prevents the X-rays from penetrating the tissue properly and hence distorts the image. This can be overcome by a slight modification in the way in which the mammogram is performed which will allow as much of the breast tissue as possible to be visualised by the x-ray.

If you are due for a mammogram and you have an implant please definitely attend your appointment but let the breast screening clinic know beforehand that you have an implant so they are prepared and can screen you appropriately.

If you have a breast implant because you have had a total mastectomy (i.e. both breasts removed) you won’t need a mammogram as all your breast tissue has been removed but following your breast cancer diagnosis and after treatment you will be monitored regularly. If you have had a mastectomy on just one side then you’ll need to have a mammogram of the breast that remains.

We hope this answers any questions you may have on this topic and if you have any more questions please do let us know by leaving a comment below.

By Lake Health and Wellbeing

BlogCancer BlogsWomen's Health

October 31, 2014

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Ends Today

Today is the final day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in this week’s blog we want to end the month by highlighting the key things that women should know about this disease, which are: the signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention and the screening process.

The Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of breast can be identified by carrying out regular breast self-examinations. These should be done at least once a month. The aim of the self-examination is do a visual and physical inspection of your breasts. You can do the visual part in front of a mirror and you should look out for changes in the size, shape and texture of your breasts as well as changes to your nipples (inverted nipple or a discharge).

Once you’ve carried out a visual examination, the next step is to do a physical one where you use the palm of your hands to feel both breasts and your armpit area for any lumps.

If you notice any of the symptoms of breast cancer visit your GP or doctor as soon as possible. It may not be breast cancer but it is best to rule it out.

You can find out more about how to do a breast self-examination in the video below.

The Risk Factors

The two main factors that increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer are: age and family history.

Age: As we get older our risk of developing breast cancer increases. The majority of breast cancers (80%) occur in women who are aged 50 and over.

Family History/Genetics: 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary. If you have one first-degree relative with breast cancer, this doubles your risk of developing breast cancer, and if you have two first-degree relatives with breast cancer, this triples your risk.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, visit your doctor to discuss your risk and for more information about hereditary cancer please read our recent blog post.

Other factors that have been shown to increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer include: being overweight or obese; alcohol consumption, hormone replacement therapy; smoking; and oestrogen and progesterone contraceptives.

Breast Cancer Prevention

To reduce your risk of developing breast cancer you should adopt a healthy lifestyle. In particular you should: limit your alcohol intake, stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables but low in animal fat; and if you have the choice, breast feed.

Breast Cancer Screening

In the UK all women between the ages of 50 and 70 are invited for breast screening every 3 years as part of the national breast screening programme. Women over the age of 70 can still be screened, you’ll have to contact your local breast screening unit to organise this. In England, the breast screening age is being extended to all women between the ages of 47 and 73.

Breast screening involves having an x-ray of each breast (this is a mammogram) which allows a clear image of the inside of the breast to be developed. This technique is capable of detecting breast cancer at an early stage, much earlier than a breast self-examination.

To find out more about the NHS Breast Screening Programme please visit their website

Now that Breast Cancer Awareness Month has come to an end, remember to remain breast aware throughout the year.

By Lake Health and Wellbeing