Nurse reveals how to carry out self check for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

16 October 2020, 07:53 | Updated: 16 October 2020, 08:35

Clare O’Neil has detailed how to check your breasts. Picture: Heart

Claire O'Neil spoke about her own experience with breast cancer and why it's so important to keep checking your boobs and pecs.

CoppaFeel Nurse and Healthcare Engagement Coordinator Clare O’Neil joined Jamie and Amanda on Heart Breakfast today to encourage listeners to examine their breasts regularly.

It’s estimated that nearly one million women in the UK have missed potentially lifesaving NHS breast screening due to COVID-19.

And as a cancer survivor herself, Claire has urged listeners to carry out their own self assessment every month to ensure they don’t miss any changes in breast tissue.

She said: “You can do it anywhere, in the shower, in front of the mirror, lying down.

We hear from Heart listeners who self-check their breasts for the first time after Clare O’Neill from @CoppaFeelPeople talks through exactly how to do it and what to look out for. #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth pic.twitter.com/8PtGzxftzX
— Heart (@thisisheart) October 16, 2020

“The breast tissue goes to the collarbone and under the armpit, so stand in front of the mirror making sure everything looks normal for you.

“Be aware of the signs and symptoms by feeling all around that area.”

Explaining what to look out for, she continued: “People know about checking for lumps, but it could also be swelling under the armpit or a sudden change in size or shape.”

If anyone is worried about their breasts, Claire urged them to contact their GP as soon as possible.

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Every October, we have a unique opportunity to reach more people than ever with our check your boobs/boob/pecs/chest message - because breast cancer can affect anyone. . Our #AsdaTickledPink partnership will help us & @breastcancernow do just that. Thanks to @asda, 18 million of their customers will be reminded in store to cop-a-feel each week. They've also stacked their shelves with dozens of products in support of us and @breastcancernow (we may be biased but we think these are the best kind to buy at your weekly shop!) . We've shared some of the products available in our stories & CoppaShop! highlight. The next time you are in an Asda store - keep an eye out for the tickled pink sticker! #KeepInTouchWithYourBoobs #KnowYourNormal #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth

A post shared by CoppaFeel! (@coppafeelpeople) on Oct 2, 2020 at 8:50am PDT

”I know services are changing a bit,” she said, continuing: “But breast awareness is more important than ever, so we need to get to know our bodies and know what’s normal for us.”

Coppafeel also offers a free reminder text every month to ensure you don’t forget to check your breasts, you can find out more here.

Their website states: “By checking on a regular basis, you will build confidence of knowing what is normal for you each month. Everyone has to start somewhere, so don’t worry if you’re not feeling confident straight away.”

“Many of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer are changes you would only notice by looking at the appearance of your boobs. We recommend coppin’ a feel and taking a look during your checks.”

If you’d like to find out more, or donate you can visit coppafeel.org.