Breast care for women

Breast care for womenSymptoms, Screening and Staying Healthy

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This booklet uses easy wordsand pictures to help you getinformation about cancer.

You might want someone tohelp you look at the bookletso you can talk about it.

This booklet can help youlearn about cancer. But this is not the same as talking toyour doctor. If you are worried about your health, you should talk to a doctor or nurse.

There is a Word Bank at theback of the booklet to helpwith hard words. Any wordsin bold you can find in theWord Bank.

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Breast care for women

The most common cancer for women isbreast cancer.

Women of any age canget breast cancer but therisk is higher when youare over 50.

If your mother, aunt orsister has had breastcancer, you may be morelikely to get it.

Gran Mum Me

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Cancer is easier to treat if you find it early. You should check yourbreasts for any changes.

It is very important tocheck what your breastsfeel like at different timesof the month.

This is because the menstrual cycle causeschanges in the breasts. It can make them biggeror more sensitive.

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It is best to look in a mirror to check yourbreasts. You can see ifanything looks different.

Some women have onebreast larger than theother - this is OK.

Every woman's body isdifferent. You shouldknow what your breastslook and feel like normally. Then you will beable to spot any changes.

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Check your breasts whenyou are somewhere private. This could be inthe shower or bedroom.

Then feel around the nipple area.

How to check your breasts

Feel all over the breast.

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If you find any changes orlumps in your breasts it isvery important to seeyour doctor as soon asyou can.

You can ask to see a female doctor if youwould like.

Then feel under yourarms.

Changes to look for

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Look for:

Changes in the shape ofyour breasts or nipples.

Lumps in your breasts orarmpits.

Changes to the skin onyour breasts.

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If you are aged 50 to 70you will get a letter invitingyou for breast screening.This will happen every 3years. In some parts ofEngland, women are invited from the age of 47 to 73.

Look for:

Any liquid coming out ofyour nipples.

Breast screening meanshaving an x-ray of yourbreasts. This is called a mammogram. This willcheck if your breasts arehealthy.

Breast screening

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You might have a mammogram at a:

= hospital

= clinic

= mobile unit

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It will always be a womandoing the screening.

This is what a breastscreening machine lookslike. This takes the x-rayof your breasts.

What happens

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When you arrive at thebreast screening unit thenurse will tell you what amammogram is. You canask her questions.

You will be asked to takeyour top and bra off.

The nurse will check yourname, address and dateof birth.

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It only takes a few minutes.

The nurse will put yourbreast between two flatplates on the machine.The plates will pressagainst your breast totake the x-rays. Thenurse will do one breastat a time.

The nurse will go behinda glass screen when thex-rays are being taken.

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Some women find itpainful or uncomfortable.This should not last long.

After you can ask thenurse how you will findout your results and whenthis will be.

Sometimes you may beasked to come back foranother mammogram because the results arenot clear. This does not always mean something is wrong.

Word Bank

Drawing by Tracey HarrisonVolunteer and Illustrator with learning disabilities

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Word Bank

MammogramThis is an x-ray of thebreasts to see if there areany signs of cancer.

Menstrual cycleThe time from the firstday of a woman’s periodto the day before her nextperiod.

ScreeningThese are special teststhat can sometimes findcancer early.

X-rayThis is a picture taken ofthe inside of your body.

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Word Bank

SymptomsSigns in your body thattell you something iswrong, like feeling tiredall the time.

Useful contacts

Drawing by Tracey HarrisonVolunteer and Illustrator with learning disabilities

Helpful organisations

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Useful contacts

Breast Cancer CareGives information and support to women with breast cancer, and theirfamily and friends.Phone: 0808 800 6000Web: www.breastcancercare.org.uk

Brook Brook gives young people free, confidential information about health,sex and relationships. Find your local Brook centre on their website.Web: www.brook.org.uk

Cancer Research UKA charity that is researching treatments for cancer. Its website has lotsof information about cancer.Phone: 0808 800 4040Web: www.cancerresearchuk.org

Macmillan Cancer SupportA charity that helps people who have cancer. They give practical, medical and financial support. They try to make cancer care in the UK better.Phone: 0808 808 00 00Web: www.macmillan.org.uk

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Useful contacts

NHS ContactsThese contacts give you information about your health and health services:England and Scotland Phone: 111Wales Phone: 0845 46 47Northern Ireland Web: www.hscni.net

Paul’s Cancer Support CentreGives help, information and complementary therapies to people withcancer. Phone: 0207 924 3924Web: www.paulscancersupportcentre.org.uk

RESPONDGives therapy to people with learning disabilities after trauma or abuse.They also offer training and support to carers.Phone: 0808 808 07 00Web: www.respond.org.uk

Written and audio material

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Useful contacts

Books Beyond WordsA series of picture books for people with learning disabilities. The bookstalk about cancer, health and bereavement.Web: www.booksbeyondwords.co.ukPhone: 020 8877 9799Email: [email protected]

Cervical Screening - Information for Women with Learning DisabilitiesAn information folder for women with learning disabilities about going for cervical screening. Produced by Elfrida Rathbone Camden. Phone: 020 7424 1601Web: www.elfridacamden.org.uk

FAIR MultimediaPublishes a range of health leaflets, audio discs and CDs for peoplewith learning disabilities. This includes a series on cancer.Email: [email protected]: 0131 662 1962Web: www.fairadvice.org.uk/health-publications.php

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Taking Good Care - supporting people with learning disabilities to be breast aware.Easy read booklet about looking after your breasts for women with learning disabilities. Also includes a guide for carers. Produced by Breast Cancer Care and Cardiff People First.

Breast Cancer CareWeb: www.breastcancercare.org.ukPhone: 0808 800 6000

Cardiff People First Phone: 029 2023 1555

Useful contacts

Online helpwww.easyhealth.org.ukHas lots of online health information that is easy to understand.

www.macmillan.org.ukHas lots of information aboutcancer and where to get help.You can also talk to other people with cancer in the online community.

Videos and DVDs

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Useful contacts

Leeds Animation WorkshopHas animated films on social issues for people with learning disabilities.There is one called ‘Getting Better’ about going to the doctor and thehealth clinic.Phone: 0113 248 4997Web: www.leedsanimation.org.uk/index.html

Speak Up Self AdvocacyHas DVDs and booklets for people with learning disabilities abouthealth and illness.Web: www.speakup.org.uk

Macmillan Cancer Support has reviewed the information in thisbooklet and paid for it to be produced. They are a charity whohelp people with cancer. They have nurses and other healthworkers. They try to make cancer care in the UK better. Theyhave experts who can answer your questions about cancer andhow it affects your life. You can callMacmillan on 0808 808 00 00or textphone 0808 808 0121 (Mon–Fri, 9am–8pm). Or go tomacmillan.org.uk

CHANGE is a leading national Human Rights organisation led bydisabled people. We work for equal rights for all people withlearning disabilities. The cancer books and booklets thatCHANGE have produced are part of an ongoing campaign toraise awareness about the issues of cancer for people withlearning disabilities. You can call CHANGE on 0113 242 6619,email [email protected] or find us at www.changepeople.org

This easy read booklet was produced by CHANGE © CHANGE 2016

Breast care for women

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