Facts and myths about breast cancer

4. Breast cancer is the most deadly cancer for women in the UK
Correction: it's the most common cancer (36,141 new cases in the UK in 1996) but not the deadliest. That tragic honour belongs to lung cancer. While fewer women get it (15,246 in the UK in 1996), more die from it.

5. Self-exams are a waste of time
Wrong. Breast awareness works, and remains a useful method for early detection, along with mammography and regular breast exams by a medical professional. While none of these methods is 100% accurate, together they're the best means yet of finding any breast tumours. And the earlier a lump is found, as Dr Lesley Walker at the CRC points out, the less likely a mastectomy may be needed. Becoming familiar with how your breasts look and feel at different times of the month, means that if changes are noticed, you should see your doctor.

Questions to ask your doctor

1. What risk is there of me developing breast cancer?

2. What is the stage of my cancer and what does it mean?

3. What sort of treatment do you recommend and why?

4. What sort of risks will be associated with those treatments?

5. Will I be able to work or will I be at home in bed? For how long?

6. What should I do about diet and exercise while I’m getting treatments?

7. Will I be very disfigured? If so, can you tell me about options for reconstruction?

8. What’s my prognosis?

9. If I go through all the treatments as you prescribe, what are the chances that the cancer will just come back?

10. If it does come back, what then?

11. Are there any clinical trials I might be able to participate in?

Information supplied by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, CancerBACUP, Cancer Research Campaign, and the Breast Cancer Coalition.