SHOPPERS at a Warrington supermarket can now find NHS advice on underwear labels, urging them to contact their GP practice if they spot potential symptoms of breast or testicular cancer.
The Nutmeg branded underwear, available at Morrisons, features the advice on boxer shorts and crop top bras.
Displayed on the fabric labels alongside the standard sizing and care information, the NHS advice will also include a QR code on the packaging and tags linking customers through to more detailed information on breast and testicular cancer on the NHS website.
Morrisons is the first UK supermarket to roll-out the new labels and this first-of-its-kind partnership for the NHS is the latest move in a significant drive to ensure people are aware of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
If people notice symptoms that could be cancer, they should contact their GP practice and come forward for checks as early as possible so they can get the all-clear or, in some cases, a cancer diagnosis sooner -to give them the best chance of surviving the disease.
Sue Makin (pictured) was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer after a finding a lump while on holiday.
She said: “I felt a really hard lump. I’ve had cysts before, so at first I wasn’t worried, but then within two weeks I started to notice puckering of the skin, and dimpling.
“Triple negative is a very aggressive form of cancer, but because I’d found it so early it was small. And after a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, I am cancer free.
“It’s so important to go to your doctor if you’re worried about anything, the sooner you can start treatment the better chance of survival.”
Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump or change in the look, shape or feel of one or both breasts, while symptoms of testicular cancer can include painless swelling or a lump in one of the testicles or any change in shape or texture of the testicles.
National figures show that 91 per cent of women survive for at least five years if diagnosed at the earliest stage of breast cancer, where the tumour is small (stage one), whereas this reduces to 39 per cent where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (stage four).
While nearly all men survive testicular cancer, if the cancer has spread, survival for five years or more can reduce to 65 per cent..
Dr Michael Gregory, Medical Director for NHS England – North West said: “This partnership with a national supermarket will hopefully reach thousands of people in the North West, encouraging them to understand their bodies, so they can recognise new or unexplained changes that might be a sign or symptom or cancer, earlier, when it is easier to treat.
“I want to urge everyone to be aware of their bodies, notice anything that is unusual for you, and if you’re concerned get checked out as soon as you can. Early diagnosis saves lives.”
The NHS is harnessing the very latest technology and initiatives such as community lung health checks and trials of a blood test that can detect up to 50 cancers before symptoms appear, to diagnose cancer earlier and achieve its goal of diagnosing three quarters of all cancers at stage one or two by 2028.
The NHS is also accelerating the use of innovations like teledermatology for diagnosing skin cancer, which is already seeing some areas double the number of patients seen and speeding up diagnosis and treatment for tens of thousands with skin cancer.
