by Isabel Müller Eidhamar, reporter

This October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month women are encouraged to feel more confident checking themselves for lumps, as a Medway doctor say women are more likely to identify signs by checking themselves.

Dr. Julian Spinks of Strood says he has seen a drastic increase in women self-diagnosing.

“I think people more and more are starting to examine themselves and pick up on lumps in their breasts, and it is interesting because we have moved more away from formal breast cancer examinations to rather teach them how to examine themselves,” he says.

“Evidence show that a proper examination actually did not pick up any more lumps than a self-examination.”

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in the UK, and this October around 5,000 people will be diagnosed, according to Breast Cancer Care.

However, Dr. Spinks is worried that women at high risk of developing breast cancer too often choose to avoid getting checked.

“What is amazing to me is the number of women who are invited to have a mammogram and who don’t go for it. It is a missed opportunity,” he says, “most of us have a bit of our brain which sort of works on the basis that ‘it’s not going to be me’ or they do not feel the risk is high enough to take the time of work. You’ve got to keep persuading them.”

Figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that the number of women between 50 and 70 screened for breast cancer after their first invitation has fallen to only 63.3%.

The leader of Medway Labour Group, Vince Maple, who sits at the Health and Wellbeing Board at Medway Council, believes girls should be taught how to check themselves as early as possible.

“I think boys and girls should be taught about the relevant risks of cancer for their own particular genders in school. I don’t think we do enough of that,” he says, “I have always worked close with the CoppaFeel organisation and they do tremendous work with just that, especially in North Kent.”

Medway has the lowest number of breast cancer cases in Kent. A report published by Public Health England in 2017, show that only a 131 cases per 100,000 women in Medway have breast cancer, compared to the national average of 173.

Dr. Julian Spinks is positive that Breast Cancer Awareness is contributing to more people taking their health seriously, and hopes more women choose to check themselves.

“The most important thing to be aware of in regards to breast cancer is that it is very common. It is going to affect a lot of women, and yet if you take action to check yourself or get checked out if you are in the age group of mammograms, you can significantly increase the chances of picking it up early and getting the help you need.”