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Posted by Sally04MAR
Celebrities and women affected by breast cancer have taken part in a photoshoot to highlight the importance of early detection of breast cancer, and to encourage mums and daughters to talk about breast awareness this Mother’s Day.
The photoshoot saw ladies, including Dragon’s Den investor Kelly Hoppen MBE, singer Heidi Range, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes (with her very on-brand pink hair!), comedienne Olivia Lee, DJ and model Leah Weller, actress and artist Leah Wood and DJ Krystal Roxx, model personalised t-shirts sharing their own breast awareness messages.
A recent survey by ICM Research for Breast Cancer Campaign, showed more than half of women in the UK, 51%, fail to check their breasts at least every month and almost three quarters of women, 72%, rarely or never discuss checking their breasts with friends or family. The survey also revealed that 36% of women were not confident they know how to check their breasts for cancer and 28% said they were not confident they would notice a change in their breasts.
We went behind the scenes of the photoshoot to capture the ladies designing their t-shirts and the messages they wanted to highlight to the public.
Watch the behind-the-scenes video:
Celebrity Breast Cancer Early Detection photo shoot - behind the scenes! from Breast Cancer Campaign on Vimeo.
Video credit: 2-digits
Talk To The Women In Your Life About Checking Yourself, You’re Never Too Young Or Old To StartDesigner and Dragon’s Den star Kelly Hoppen said: “Breast Cancer Campaign is a cause very close to my heart- my mother and my friends have had breast cancer and I’ve had my own breast cancer scare so I’ve seen the devastating impact it has on women’s lives. Talk to the women in your life about checking yourself, you’re never too young or old to start, and if you notice a change, do something about it and book an appointment with your GP.”
Singer Heidi Range said: “Mother’s Day is a time to be grateful for our lovely mums and there are a lot of them out there who have been, or could be, affected by breast cancer. Let’s start checking our breasts regularly and talking to our mums about it to make sure they are too. Getting to know your body and noticing any changes could save your life.”
DJ and model Leah Weller was photographed with her model boyfriend Tomo Kurata. Leah said: “Breast cancer is a disease that affects thousands of families across the UK every day, particularly mothers and daughters so don’t forget to check your breasts and ask your mum and any of the women in your life to do the same. We need to start looking after each another and being more breast aware.”
An Early Diagnosis Makes All The Difference In Treatment Options Available And Ultimately Survival Rates.Breast Cancer Campaign supporter Charlotte Pittuckcarries a mutated version of the BRCA2 breast cancer gene and is undergoing a double mastectomy this year. Charlotte said: “As a mother I felt honoured to take part in the early detection shoot. An early diagnosis makes all the difference in treatment options available and ultimately survival rates. In cancers where an altered BRCA gene is present and the cancer attacks younger and more aggressively, as could happen with my gene, then early detection is our only hope. Any shoot that highlights this to people of all backgrounds and ages I want to be a part of.”
In the run up to Mother’s Day, we want to highlight the importance of discussing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and being breast aware. Passing on this knowledge to your loved ones can help save lives. Take our breast quiz to help understand the signs and symptoms of breast. And find out more about breast cancer screening.