Majority of women do not know early signs of breast cancer, finds global survey by Avon

- Less than half (42%) are confident that they know what changes to their breast could be a sign of cancer

- A quarter (25%) think that a lump is the only sign of breast cancer that can be identified without medical equipment

- Avon Breast Cancer Promise launches today, a multi-year commitment to educating women about the disease

LONDON, Sept. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Only two in five people (42%) are confident about recognising the changes to their breasts that could be a sign of cancer, according to a new survey of 19,000 respondents by Avon Products, Inc., the world's leading social selling company^[i]. The findings also show there is a knowledge gap amongst women globally about what the symptoms are for breast cancer and how to lower the risk of developing the disease.

PDF - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/560112/Avon_Breast_Cancer_Survey_Infographic.pdf

The World Health Organization estimates that breast cancer kills more than 500,000 women globally every year, a number that could be greatly reduced if cancer were detected at an earlier stage.

Despite 73% of respondents saying they look out for changes to the appearance of their breasts, many report that they aren't confident recognising the early signs of breast cancer. Moreover, more than half of those surveyed (60%) would hesitate to seek medical advice for a variety of reasons, including embarrassment, fear and not having access to a regular doctor.

The survey also found a lack of knowledge when it comes to identifying signs and knowing the risks of breast cancer, which may be due to a lack of information – 30% said that they haven't been given any information about changes to their breasts that could be a cause for concern. A quarter (25%) think that a lump is the only sign of breast cancer that can be identified without medical equipment.  When asked to identify 10 common symptoms of breast cancer, only 2% managed to select all 10 correctly.^[ii]

There is also low awareness of some of the important lifestyle factors that could prevent breast cancer, with almost two-thirds (64%) unaware that exercise could help lower the risk of developing breast cancer. Similarly, 63% of those surveyed do not know that alcohol consumption is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer.

Over the last 25 years, Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women^[iii] have donated more than US$800 million globally to breast cancer causes, educated 180 million women about this disease, and funded breast health screenings for nearly 20 million women.