South Asian women are the least likely to check themselves for signs of breast cancer.
New research released on the 12th of October by The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) UK & Ireland’s 2021 Breast Cancer Campaign to mark Breast Cancer Awareness month, has revealed that half of all women are not checking their breasts regularly enough. This highlights that more needs to be done to encourage everybody (including men) to check for signs of breast cancer, especially women under the age of 40, South Asian women and Black women who according to the research are the least likely to check.
The study of 2,000 women in the UK found one in four women aged 18-39 years admit to never checking their breasts as they believe they are too young, don’t think it will affect them or feel they are too busy. What’s more, a quarter of women in this age group reveal they do not have the confidence to check themselves.
It also emerged that of those surveyed, South Asian women are the least likely to check themselves compared to other ethnicities, with 40 per cent never checking at all – compared to 27 per cent of Black women and 13 per cent for all other ethnicities. A third of South Asian women say they don’t know what to look for or forget, and more than one in twenty (seven per cent) don’t feel comfortable checking themselves due to cultural reasons. Furthermore, the survey revealed that Black women are least likely to feel confident that they know how to check or what to look for (43 per cent) and 15 per cent fear being judged by others.
Female breast cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide —surpassing lung cancer for the first time in 2020—with an estimated 2.3 million new cases. This year, an ambition of The ELC’s UK & Ireland’s Breast Cancer Campaign is to build upon reaching under-represented communities, that are often disproportionally affected by breast cancer, and encourage everybody to regularly check their breasts.
Of those women who do check their breasts, nearly half (49 per cent) don’t know all the signs to look for. Here is a guide from the NHS on how to check your breasts. And women agree men should be clued up too, as 80 per cent of all women believe men should know the different signs of breast cancer so they can help spot it in their partner as this could help improve the chances of an early diagnosis.
Dr Zoe Williams, GP and broadcaster, says: “ We need to feel free to talk about breast health; it should be part of your self-care routine, just like brushing your teeth. There's no shame, breasts are part of our bodies. It's our responsibility to take care of them. Regular checking is vital, ideally once a month, but remember checking your breasts is a skill and like any other skill it takes practice to get good at it.
“There are many different signs to look out for, not just lumps, such as irritation or dimpling of the skin on the breast or flaky skin in the nipple area, to name just a couple. If you notice any unusual changes, it’s important to contact your GP as soon as possible. According to the research, over a third (38 per cent) wouldn’t want to waste their doctors time if it isn’t breast cancer – but please take it from me, that your doctor wants to see you.” You can listen to our Brown Boss podcast episode with south Asian breast cancer survivor Toral Shah about destigmatising serious illnesses in the community and how she’s helping other cancer patients through diet and lifestyle changes.
The research also uncovered that many LGBTQIA+, Black and South Asian women believe there is a stigma in their community around speaking about breast cancer as it just isn’t talked about; and, say there is a lack of representation in self-check resources. 82 per cent believe there needs to be better access to tools and resources that feature a more diverse range of people in order to highlight that breast cancer can affect every body.
Kreena Dhiman, Breast Cancer Warrior and author of The Intended Mother – Breast Cancer Diaries says: “It's heart breaking that within the South Asian community 40 percent of women aren't self-checking. Typically, we are a community that don't share our fears, struggles or concerns. Cancer is something that was never spoken about in my own family, despite family history of it. We need to change that behaviour. We need to normalise conversations about our bodies and our physical and mental health. Vulnerability is often incorrectly perceived as weakness and that's a myth that I certainly want to debunk.
I had no idea what the signs of Breast Cancer were prior to my own diagnosis and I had never had a conversation about it with my friends or family. I guess I was one of those people who thought cancer would never affect me, but who also thought that cancer meant death and that wasn’t something I ever wanted to give consideration to; I was too busy trying to attain success for anything like cancer to stand in my way. I'd like to see my community regularly self-checking, I want that 40 percent of women to stop, to listen, to understand that this disease could land at that their door. I want them to know that early detection will potentially save their life. I want to be the story of Hope that takes the fear away from the Big C.”
The study shows there are also many misconceptions around who is at risk of breast cancer with a third of all women believing you can only get breast cancer in your 50s and just under a third thinking they are too ‘flat-chested’ to be affected. Lauren Mahon, breast cancer survivor, founder of Girl vs. Cancer and co-host of You, Me and the Big C, says: “It’s incredibly important for younger women to realise they’re not immune from breast cancer; it’s not just a disease that affects women at a later life stage. For me it's vital that women understand that even those with small boobs like me are at risk of breast cancer too.
I was only 31 when I was diagnosed with a grade 3 tumour which I found by accident, I wasn't self-examining at all. In my mind I believed you have to have a significant amount of breast tissue to get cancer. It's terrifying to see that the research found that a quarter of young women are not checking their breasts and a third think their breasts aren’t big enough to get cancer. Knowing from first-hand experience the importance of early diagnosis, I urge women of all ages to check their breasts regularly to know what’s normal for them. It's not about looking for cancer; it's knowing what's normal for your body. So if something should change, it's off to the GP you go!”
Time to Unite
At 7.00pm on Wednesday 20th October, ELC UK & Ireland will hold its second Time to Unite event to connect, unite and empower every body to come together. The research revealed that 80% of women want everybody to come together and unite to help end breast cancer and the event aims to be the world’s largest virtual self-check. Elizabeth Hurley, longstanding Global Ambassador for The Breast Cancer Campaign, will be joined by Alesha Dixon, Artist and TV presenter; Victoria Derbyshire, broadcaster and breast cancer survivor; Leanne Pero; Lauren Mahon; Dr Zoe Williams, who will be conducting a step-by-step self-check demonstration; plus, a host of inspirational women who will share their stories and empower every body to regularly self-check, so that breast cancer can be caught earlier to improve survival.
For more information about The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign, and the Time to Unite virtual event, visit ELCompanies.co.uk/BreastCancerCampaign