There is "a good chance of recovery" from breast cancer if it's detected and treated in its early stages.
But every year, nearly a fifth of women (17%) who are diagnosed with breast cancer put off seeing their GP for more than a month after first spotting a symptom, a survey has suggested.
Breast Cancer Care warned that there is still confusion around the signs of breast cancer and more needs to be done to encourage women to go to their GP sooner.
In a survey of breast cancer patients released on Monday, the charity found a third of the women who waited more than a month before seeing their GP did so because they did not think the symptom was serious enough.
A total of 5% of women waited as long as six months before making an appointment, potentially putting their lives at risk.
Samia al Qadhi, chief executive at Breast Cancer Care, said: "There have been many awareness raising campaigns around breast cancer symptoms, but our survey suggests that the job still isn't done.
"The sooner a cancer is diagnosed, the more effective treatment is likely to be so it is extremely concerning that some women are waiting more than six months to visit their GP after finding a breast symptom.
"Our survey identifies the main reasons for a delay could be the fear of being diagnosed and not realising a symptom may be breast cancer.
"We know how scary it can be to find a breast change but we want to reassure women that an early diagnosis of breast cancer can mean simpler and more effective treatment.
"We are urging women of any age to get to know their body by looking at and feeling their breasts regularly - there's no right or wrong way - and if they find any unusual changes for them to not put off visiting their GP."
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Breast Cancer Signs And Treatment
What Are The Symptoms?(01 of10)
Open Image Modal"A new painless, firm breast lump with irregular margins is a potential symptom of breast cancer," says Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, a breast cancer researcher at the Mayo Clinic. "The cancer diagnosis is confirmed following a biopsy of the lump." She notes that usually, women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer are healthy and don't feel sick at all. (credit:LarsZahnerPhotography via Getty Images)
Other Symptoms(02 of10)
Open Image ModalAnother potential symptom/sign of breast cancer, Pruthi notes, is a new onset of persistent redness on the skin overtop the breast with an orange peel appearance. This would also need a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of breast cancer. (credit:Image Source via Getty Images)
Metastatic Cancer Symptoms(03 of10)
Open Image Modal"If the cancer is very advanced (metastatic) then the symptoms may also include weight loss, bone pain, headaches, nausea and persistent cough," Pruthi says. (credit:pamela burley via Getty Images)
What Are The Risk Factors?(04 of10)
Open Image ModalSome commonly associated risk factors, Pruthi says, are menstruation before age 11, menstruation after age 54, a first pregnancy after age 35 and a family history of relatives diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. (credit:AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Are There Any Lifestyle Risk Factors?(05 of10)
Open Image Modal"There is evidence in the literature that obesity after menopause, lack of regular exercise, consuming greater than more or more alcoholic beverages daily, and a high fat diet can all be associated with a higher breast cancer risk," Pruthi notes. But, she points out, "women need to know that any woman can get breast cancer even in the absence of any of these risk factors." (credit:Adrian Samson via Getty Images)
Can I Eat Anything To Prevent It?(06 of10)
Open Image ModalThere are no specific types of diets, Pruthi says, but rather women are encouraged to eat fruits, vegetables, fibre, and minimize their alcohol and fat intake, as well as get regular exercise. (credit:lola1960 via Getty Images)
How Do Doctors Determine Treatment?(07 of10)
Open Image Modal"The most current treatment of breast cancer has taken on a individualized approach and is dependent on the biology or aggressive features of the breast cancer," Pruthi explains. "Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and this means that are many sub-types and different degrees of aggressiveness. So staging, which typically takes into account common prognostic features such as tumour size and if lymph nodes are involved, are no longer the only factors doctors use to determine treatment options." (credit:Christopher Futcher via Getty Images)
So What Do They Look At?(08 of10)
Open Image Modal"Today the biology of the tumour is also characterized by molecular markers (also known as predictive markers) such as if the estrogen or progesterone receptor is positive or negative and if the HER 2 protein is positive or negative," she says. "This helps decide who will benefit from a specific chemotherapy regimen, hormonal medications known as antiestrogens or who may need both chemotherapy and hormonal treatment." (credit:BluePlanetEarth via Getty Images)
What About Preventative Mastectomies?(09 of10)
Open Image Modal"Preventive mastectomy is an option for women at very high risk for developing breast cancer because they are BRCA 1 or 2 gene positive or if someone has hereditary predisposition to getting breast cancer but chooses not to have the genetic testing done," Pruthi says. "It is prudent that women who are considering this surgery know their family history in detail. Based on the moderate or strong family history, your doctor would recommend you meet with a genetic counselor to go over the family pedigree and help decide who should test for the breast cancer gene, when to test and how to interpret the genetic test results before proceeding with this preventive surgery." (credit:Jesús Jaime Mota via Getty Images)
Are Other Preventative Treatments Available?(10 of10)
Open Image Modal"High risk women who have had precancerous breast biopsies or strong family history may also be eligible to take preventive medications such as tamoxifen, raloxifene or exemestane to reduce breast cancer risk," Pruthi adds. (credit:art-4-art via Getty Images)
A total of 10% of the 403 women surveyed did not have the common symptom of a lump and instead had puckering or dimpling of the skin or redness or rash on the breast.
In some cases these other symptoms can indicate a fast-growing type of breast cancer.
Mother-of-one Fiona Lewis, 44, from Taunton, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, warned other women to "trust their instincts".
"It was very odd, it was like my breast had a strange grainy texture and had hardened," she said.
"It felt weird for a couple of months, but I just wasn't sure what it meant. I spoke to my partner Andy about it and he said that if it felt different, I had to go and get it checked out. It was such a shock when I was diagnosed."