00:00There is a lot of misconceptions when it comes to breast cancer. In fact most people
00:04think it's only women that can be impacted, but actually anybody can get breast cancer
00:08including men. The NHS recommends that you check your breast, chest area and under your
00:14armpits once a month. But how many people are actually checking correctly, if at all?
00:20Well I'm here in Rochester to find out.
00:23Every time I have a shower and that's most days I check.
00:27I haven't ever, I don't really think that you mention it, I know that I should.
00:32I say once a week at least.
00:33To be honest I've only like checked myself a few times in my life.
00:38Breast Cancer Now reported last year that almost half of women in the UK were not regularly
00:43checking their breasts for signs of cancer, which is the general response I got today.
00:48But these figures don't include men, with Cancer Research UK reporting around 400 men
00:53are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, which is less than 1% of all cases. But with
00:59breast cancer in men being rare, do people still think it's important for men to check
01:04themselves too?
01:05I think that there does need to be more actual physical awareness to it because word of mouth,
01:11a lot of people just will hear, oh you know go check yourself and then they'll forget about it.
01:14You wouldn't expect it in men, but I feel like it is very important to check every now and
01:18then.
01:19They've got breast tissue the same as a woman and they are still at risk of getting breast
01:25cancer.
01:26With men there isn't a lot of awareness for breast cancer because when you think of breast
01:30cancer you think of women. Typically like even looking at like the breast cancer symbol
01:34is pink and it's like obviously society as a whole associates pink with women.
01:40While breast cancer in men is rare, it can still happen, so checking for any unusual changes
01:45is important for everyone.
01:47Maisie Walker for KMTV, Rochester.
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