Early detection

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with nearly 12,000 people dying from it every year; it is also the second most common cause of death from cancer in women.

Every 10 minutes, one person in the UK is diagnosed with breast cancer and one in eight women will develop it at some point in their lives. Contrary to common perception, it can affect men too, though in far fewer numbers. So it’s important for all of us to be aware of the signs of the disease.

Last year, nearly half of all cancer claims paid by Dentists’ Provident were for breast cancer, totalling over £2m. And this year there have been half a dozen new claims already, some from dentists only in their 20s and early 30s.

Researchers are constantly looking at the best ways to prevent reoccurrence of the disease. In April this year, new findings presented at the European Breast Cancer Conference and published in The Lancet showed that certain early stage breast cancers were now found to have lower rates of reoccurrence and death when radiotherapy was given after a mastectomy. And to continue improving access to innovative and effective new treatments, NHS England announced this summer that the Cancer Drugs Fund, which gives patients access to new drugs, which are not normally funded by the NHS, would be given additional funding to the tune of £160 million, to offer fresh hope to sufferers.