CoppaFeel!: on a mission to educate young people about breast cancer.

Abstract

A recent survey by Breast Cancer Care showed almost one-third of women surveyed who waited over a month to visit their general practitioner (GP) believed their symptom wasn't a serious issue, suggesting there is still confusion and reluctance surrounding breast checks.1 Research carried out by CoppaFeel! in 2014 showed that more women check their weight more frequently than their breasts, with 50% of 18- to 24-yearolds not sure what they are looking for or knowing how to check their breasts.2CoppaFeel! is on a mission to change this and educate the nation about the importance of knowing the signs and symptoms, checking regularly and visiting the GP without delay if changes are detected. Even though awareness of the disease exists, there is still plenty more work to be done in empowering women to feel confident to act upon any changes they may detect. CoppaFeel! has taken a fresh approach to breast awareness, using bold campaigns, handy reminders and celebrity supporters to target an age group normally excluded from the breast awareness message. Set up by Kristin Hallenga, who was diagnosed at 23 with secondary breast cancer, CoppaFeel! exists to start a conversation with a younger audience and make them listen up to the important message.We all know old habits die hard; therefore, we focus our attention on influencing the behaviours of young people early on in their lives, encouraging them to make healthy habits part of their routine as early as possible.HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT CANCER?We often hear young people refer to breast cancer as something that happens to older women and most have never been told to start checking their breasts. We recognise the reason for this is the fact they are not in the high-risk age bracket; however, aren't we missing a trick by not making younger women aware? After all, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women under 39.3Trying to change perceptions of the disease isn't easy, which is why we aim to make the breast awareness message simple and relatable for a younger audience. Our Boobette programme is a group of young women under 35 who have all been touched by breast cancer, whether it is through a diagnosis, scare or friend or family members' experience. They aim to use their stories to show a younger woman's perspective of the disease and make their audiences listen up, breaking down breast cancer myths. This is a conversation that needs to be had across generations. Opening the discussion up to a younger audience means we can encourage more conversations in family units about family history or simply checking habits from sisters to grandmothers.Creating a relaxed, comfortable environment to talk about breast cancer in peer groups without embarrassment or fear is only half the job done. We need to make sure the message is taken on board and healthy habits are formed and cemented in routines. That is why we favour the use of handy reminders, whether it is our free monthly text service or shower sticker, which aims to be the friendly, effortless prompt to initiate a two minute breast check. Our new campaigns #BraHijack and #ShowerHijack re-enforce this approach, with our research highlighting that checking in the shower and the bedroom remain the most common places to check breasts. …