Body & Fitness

Young women get breast cancer too

A Kiwi lingerie design brand is encouraging ALL women to self-check for breast cancer by handing out self-check guides instore.

In New Zealand women are eligible for free breast screening from the age of 45 to 69 – yet every day a woman under the age of 45 is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Early detection gives you your best chance of surviving breast cancer, and self examination ensures early detection.

Lonely, a New Zealand-based lingerie design company that celebrates women’s individuality, is getting behind the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s messaging of the importance of early detection by giving away ‘breast-care cards’ with every Lonely lingerie purchase made in October.

The cards contain information about how to self-check. And in addition, its retail stores in Ponsonby, Newmarket and Wellington are being stationed with trained nurses, supplied by the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, to give customers practical advice on self-examination and breast health.

There is also the option to donate to the BCFNZ by purchasing a Lonely t-shirt featuring a drawing by Ophelia Mikkelson. The limited run tees are being pre-sold at RRP$110, with 100 per cent of sales donated to the BCFNZ.

The Lonely tee which can be purchased for RRP$110, with all proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.

How to self-examine your breasts

  • It’s best to get in the habit of checking your breasts in the shower each week. Soap and water can make it easier to detect lumps.

  • Pressing firmly, move the pads of your fingers across the entire breast area and up into the armpit – you might like to use a circular motion.

  • A lump can often feel like a pea or marble trapped under the skin. However there are many variations on this, and while most lumps aren’t cancer, it’s important to get a lump that’s still there after a couple of weeks checked by your doctor.

  • Keep an eye out for other changes such as an inverted nipple, discharge, dented or puckering skin (or skin like orange peel) or a rash. It is possible to have these symptoms and not have cancer – but it’s important to get them checked by your GP, just in case.

To find out more about what events are being held around the country to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ webite – you can organise your own event or tap into existing ones.

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