ARNOLD CLARK DRIVES BREAST CANCER AWARENESS ACROSS SCOTLAND
Customised pink wheels mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Scotland’s biggest car dealership has thrown its weight behind the Detect Cancer Early campaign to encourage female drivers to check their breasts for signs of the disease.
Scottish actress Libby McArthur was joined by comedienne and breast cancer survivor, Isobel Rutter, to urge women to ‘Don’t Get Scared, Get Checked’ when it comes to changes in their breasts.
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, thousands of female drivers in Scotland will be targeted by the campaign and shown what to look out for as 50,000 leaflets depicting the visual signs of breast cancer will be distributed in over 200 Arnold Clark outlets.
River City actress Libby McArthur said: “Breast cancer is an issue that’s very close to my heart as I had a scare myself when I was younger when I found a lump and my mother died of the disease. I’ve also watched my sister battle breast cancer and I know the devastating effect it can have on families. It’s so important to be ‘breast aware’ and I’d urge all women to regularly check for any changes to your breasts.
“We used to say that everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, but I now think most people know someone who has survived cancer.”
Sir Arnold Clark said: “Around half of our customers are women and we wanted to use this opportunity during Breast Cancer Awareness month to highlight the visual signs of breast cancer, so that more women knew what to look for other than just lumps. Getting checked out at the first opportunity could save your life. ”
Comedienne, Isobel Rutter, 56, who has survived breast cancer three times, said, “Survival rates are really good now and early detection plays a key factor in that. If I didn’t act on the lump I found, I may not be here today. I do reference life after breast cancer in my shows and I’ve found that it helps other women view the breast cancer experience from a more positive angle. I want to show people that breast cancer is not the end of the world. It is treatable. And like thousands of other women who have lost both breasts, it can have a devastating impact on your life. There is much to work through – emotionally, physically and socially – but everyone should know that there are better days ahead; and they will come…I promise!”
One in nine women in Scotland will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, so it’s crucial that people are aware of the signs and are checked at the first opportunity. You’re five times more likely to survive breast cancer if it’s diagnosed and treated at the earliest stage. Breast screening is offered in Scotland to women between the ages of 50 and 70 years of age.
If you want to find out more information about breast cancer and its symptoms, contact NHS Inform 0800 22 44 88 or www.nhsinform.co.uk.
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