Scots are constantly encouraged to be aware of any changes in their bodies in case it is an indicator of a serious health issue. An incurable disease we are, sadly, all too familiar with in the country is cancer, especially breast cancer.
Around 4,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in Scotland each year, according to Social Security Scotland. This makes breast cancer the most common cancer in Scottish women, and it does not discriminate.
Former BBC Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury was diagnosed with breast cancer during lockdown and had a single mastectomy in 2021 to remove a tumour. The 54-year-old is now a campaigner and recently appeared on Good Morning Britain to explain how you can check for breast cancer – a potentially life-saving practice.
“You’re looking for lumps, you’re looking for rashes, you’re looking for discharge,” Julia advised viewers. “There’s lots of stuff online so check out ‘how do I look for breast cancer?’
“Most importantly, check under your armpits and not with your arms up, there are ways to do it so, again, look online, but [look around] these areas under the armpits and all around the collarbone.
“People think it’s just the breast area and that’s that but it’s not – it’s the whole region that you need to be looking and feeling in.”
A list of signs and symptoms of breast cancer were shared by ITV, prompting Julia to clarify that women would not have all these symptoms, just maybe one or two. In any case, women should not be frightened of reaching out.
“Not all lumps mean cancer,” Julia assured. “Women have varying degrees of lumpy breasts.
“It can be to do with our cycle. It could be to do with anything else we might be going through, hormonal imbalances… So, if you find a lump, don’t panic, but absolutely get it checked.”
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer
- Lumps
- Swelling
- Bloody discharge
- Lumps in armpits
- Pimpling
- Skin rash / thickening
- Nipple inversion
- Unusual pain
- Colour changes
Viewers on TikTok responded positively to Julia’s advice, and shared their own experiences of being sick. “I had no symptoms at all,” one woman wrote. “NHS staff have been amazed at my story. If I hadn’t gotten a warning, I wouldn’t be here.”
Another penned: “Look for different sizes in your breasts. I was diagnosed for the second time in 20 years. I’m currently recovering from a mastectomy.”