Fewer than half (45%) of women can correctly identify all the potential symptoms of breast cancer and almost one in five do not know what to look for at all, according to a study from Aviva.
Encouragingly more than eight out of 10 (84%) women were aware that a lump or area of thickened breast tissue was a possible sign of breast cancer, but other potential indicators were less well known.
The research of more than 2,000 UK women found two thirds (67%) identified dimpling on the skin and 55% identified a rash around the nipple as breast cancer warning symptoms.
Almost half (47%) of women check their breasts for changes that may indicate breast cancer at least once a month, while 17% said they never checked their breasts.
According to the study, 18% of respondents admitted they do not know what to look for when checking their breasts, with the proportion being higher in younger women. Nearly a third (30%) of women aged under 25 said they did not what to look for.
Worryingly, almost half of those in the highest risk age groups for breast cancer failed to self-check once a month.
More than half (51%) of women aged 45-54 and 52% of those aged 55 and over said they checked for symptoms less frequently than every month, or not at all.
When quizzed on the most common breast cancer symptoms that would require prompt medical attention, just 42% of the women surveyed said they would see their doctor if they developed any one of the seven listed symptoms.
Breast cancer warning signs
The symptoms include:
A lump or swelling in either of your armpits
A lump or area of thickened breast tissue
Discharge from either of your nipples which may be streaked with blood
A change in the appearance of your nipple such as becoming sunken into your breast
A change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
Dimpling on the skin of your breasts
A rash on or around your nipple
Claims data
Claims data from Aviva shows that breast cancer is the single most common condition among critical illness insurance claims, accounting for 20% of all claims paid in 2021, including eight claims paid for men.
In terms of claims made by only women, breast cancer accounted for 39% of all claims in 2021. This was slightly lower than 2020 where it accounted for 42% of all female claims.
During 2021, Aviva paid out over £61m to critical illness customers with breast cancer, with an average payment of £74,601.
For individual critical illness claims for breast cancer, the average age at claim was 49, with the youngest claimant 30 and the eldest at 79.
Jacqueline Kerwood, claims philosophy manager at Aviva, (pictured) said: “As our claims data shows, breast cancer can affect people of all ages and it is important that everyone knows the symptoms to look out for.
“Early detection is vital and people should speak to their GP if they notice any symptoms which aren’t normal for them, rather than wait for NHS routine screening.
“Should a customer be diagnosed with breast cancer, critical illness and income protection insurance can provide crucial financial support to help them focus on their treatment and recovery rather than worry about their finances, something which is particularly important as the cost of living increases.
“Through our partnership with Macmillan, our people have been trained to provide customers with additional advice and support to help them deal with the impact of living with and recovering from a cancer diagnosis.”