It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – an annual campaign to highlight the disease and the importance of checking breasts and seeking advice if there is anything out of the ordinary.

What should you be checking for?

Cancer Research UK has a helpful website, which sets out all you need to know about signs and symptoms, treatment and support that is available.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/breast-cancer/

Cancer Research explains that classic signs of breast cancer can include some of the following:

• a change in the size, shape or feel of a breast
• a new lump or thickening in a breast or armpit
• skin changes such as puckering, dimpling, a rash or redness of the skin
• fluid leaking from a nipple in a woman who isn't pregnant or breast feeding
• changes in the position of a nipple
• pain in your breast

Although the above signs are a helpful guide, the importance of checking your own breasts, is that you know your body best. When checking your breasts, if anything seems unusual to you, book an appointment with your GP, who will be best placed to advise you and make any necessary referrals for further tests or for you to be seen by a specialist doctor.

Raising awareness and charitable donations – how can you help?

There are a number of fantastic charities that you can become involved with, to lend your support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Here, at Kingsley Napley, tomorrow is the day our office turns pink, as part of the Wear It Pink campaign. Each member of staff is encouraged to wear something pink for the day, donate towards sweets/cakes and make cash donations, to help this worthy cause.

We have also invited a registered nurse to come in to our office and speak to staff members about the all important self breast examination that both men and women should all undertake regularly.

Check out their website to see how you can become involved, either through your work, school or with your friends and family. http://wearitpink.org/take-part/work/.

It’s not all about women

Often, the focus about breast cancer is centred around women. The website http://www.hisbreastcancer.org/ has been created, to help educate members of the public about male breast cancer and aims to highlight the disease from a male perspective.

The website is a very helpful guide for men who may notice unusual symptoms, such as lumps, skin pimpling, nipple discharge, itching and redness.

Breast cancer and clinical negligence

The UK Breast Screening Programme is a fantastic tool for identifying early signs of breast cancer. However, there are many patients who will discover abnormalities themselves and will visit their GP surgery for advice. Whilst there are referral guidelines provided to GPs and nurses, by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), when cancer is suspected, sometimes the referrals do not happen.

Unfortunately, whilst GPs and nursing staff are doing their very best for patients, it is a familiar story for clinical negligence lawyers that vital referrals do not always take place. 

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, or any other type of cancer, and you have concerns about not having been examined or referred appropriately or, about any aspect of your treatment, and you would like some advice about whether you have a claim, please contact the Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury team on 020 7814 1200 or by email at claims@kingsleynapley.co.uk