Fearne Cotton, Tom Fletcher and Greg James are urging young people to seek help if they notice small but strange changes to their breasts in a powerful new campaign.
The celebrities have joined forces for CoppaFeel’s new campaign #GetItOffYourChest, which encourages young men and women to be mindful of unexpected signs of breast cancer such as the development of dimples, ridges and crusty nipples.
It urges those who do discover worrying changes to ‘get it off their chest’ by talking to someone - preferably a parent or GP - before it’s too late.
The charity hopes to encourage healthy relationships between young people, their bodies and their GPs in the hope that it might just save lives.
Although breast cancer is less common in younger women, it still remains the most common cancer for females in the UK and kills around 11,400 people each year in the UK alone.
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CoppaFeel
The campaign officially launches on Friday 16 September with a short 60-second film, aired across cinemas in the UK.
It includes appearances from Fearne Cotton, Greg James and, Tom and Giovanna Fletcher, who recite a poem highlighting the (often unexpected) symptoms of breast cancer.
CoppaFeel! said it is reaching out to young people aged between 18-24, who have been found to be least concerned about breast cancer and less likely to check themselves for any changes.
The idea is that the earlier that young people are educated on breast cancer, the earlier they can develop healthy habits that they will take with them through life, arming them with the facts so they are able to spot when something isn’t right and act upon it.
Young people still associate a lump or thickening in the breast as the most common symptom of breast cancer, according to the charity.
More than half (54%) of young people do not know that a nipple rash is a sign.
According to Macmillan, some of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:
a lump in the breast
a change in the size or shape of the breast
dimpling of the skin or thickening in the breast tissue
a nipple that’s turned in (inverted)
a rash (like eczema) on the nipple
discharge from the nipple
swelling or a lump in the armpit
Dr Penny Ward, GP and member of the CoppaFeel! Medical Advisory Group, said: “Breast cancer is much more than the lumps and bumps people commonly associate with it.
The majority of patients I see worried about breast cancer are those who have found a lump. Most of these come to the GP within a week.
Patients with nipple discharge and skin changes wait months before coming, they think it will ‘go away on its own’.
“This campaign shares a message I fully endorse - any breast changes need to be seen as soon as possible.”
CoppaFeel!’s founder Kris Hallenga was diagnosed with breast cancer at 23. She said: “For me, the diagnosis came too late and the cancer had already spread to my spine.
“I didn’t realise the many different signs and symptoms of breast cancer when I was in my late teens and early twenties, but perhaps if I had I may have acted sooner.
“This is why we are reaching out to as many young people as possible. If something feels wrong, get it off your chest.”
Breast Cancer Signs And Treatment
What Are The Symptoms?(01 of10)
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"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)
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Another 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)
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"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)
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Some 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)
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"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)
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There 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)
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"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)
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"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)
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"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)
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"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)