Late Cancer Diagnosis Kills
According to Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, between 5,000 and 10,000 people die needlessly every year because their condition is diagnosed too late. Richards examined the three deadliest forms of cancer, namely lung, bowel and breast, which together kill about 63,000 people every year.
“These delays in patients presenting with symptoms and cancer being diagnosed at a late stage inevitably cost lives. The situation is unacceptable,” Richards told the Guardian.
Britain is poor by international standards at diagnosing cancer. New efforts are planned to educate the public about the signs of cancer.
To read the full article by The Guardian, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/29/late-cancer-diagnosis-kills-thousands.
In my work as Best Think Pink, I talk to women about breast cancer prevention but I am also an advocate of early detection as one of the best forms of defence. Women need to understand how cancer develops and why it is so important to go to the doctor even if they have even the slightest reason to believe that there is a change in their breasts. I find that talking to women in person and showing them how to check themselves is the best form of education. The vast majority of cancer cases are identified by the individual themselves finding the symptoms rather than screening. Breast cancer is fairly easy to spot early if you check yourself regularly and look for any changes, either an unusual lump or changes in the look or functioning of the breast. I also advise that women use a registered medical device called the Breast Chek to give them extra confidence when checking their breasts. To read more about how to check your breasts, go to my website www.bestthinkpink.com. To order your own Breast Chek online, go to my website www.protectmybreasts.com where you can pay by credit card in dollars or contact me to place an order in sterling.
Nikki Mattei