Football stars call on women to prioritise their health as less than half of women regularly check their breasts for signs of cancer

• Footballers Millie Bright, Jen Beattie and Bethany England front a new campaign by Novartis UK in partnership with Breast Cancer Now, the UK's leading breast cancer charity, urging women to check for signs of breast cancer and recurrence.
• Proportion of UK women regularly* checking their breast for signs of cancer dropped from 55% in January 2022 to just 45% in April 2026¹.
• Around two thirds of breast cancer cases in England are found through breast-checking and getting unusual changes checked by a GP².
• Breast cancer cases are on the rise - by 2040, 70,300 women will be diagnosed with this devastating disease every year in the UK³, making it crucial women make breast checking a habit.

Less than half of women are regularly checking their breasts for signs of cancer, new data reveals. 

The proportion of UK women regularly* checking their breast for signs of cancer – at least once every six weeks – has dropped from 55% in January 2022 to just 45% in April 2026¹. 

These new YouGov figures, commissioned by the UK’s leading breast cancer charity Breast Cancer Now, show a decline in breast checking behaviours among women across the UK that the charity warns are a cause for concern. 

Breast Cancer Now cautions that anyone can get breast cancer and that 1 in 7 women in the UK will develop it in their lifetime⁴.

In England, around two-thirds of breast cancers are found by women breast checking², and when it's found early, treatment is much more likely to be successful. Checking your breasts can save your life, making it vital that all women make regular breast checking a habit. 

This trend is especially worrying with breast cancer cases in the UK predicted to rise from 55,000⁵ to around 70,300 every year by 2038-2040³.

The most cited barriers to women regularly checking their breasts include simply forgetting, not being in the habit, and feeling uncomfortable doing so.

Backed by women’s football stars, the charity is encouraging everyone to check their breasts regularly, saying it’s as simple as TLC; Touch your breasts, look for changes and check anything new or unusual with a GP.

Manveet Basra, associate director of public health, inclusion and awareness at Breast Cancer Now says:

“Breast checking is a simple habit that can save your life, so it’s deeply concerning that less than half of women in the UK are regularly checking their breasts. 

Around two-thirds of breast cancers are found through women checking their breasts and getting any new or unusual changes checked by a GP². The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chances of treatment being successful, and of lives being saved.

We understand life gets busy, as is reflected in the top reasons women give for not regularly breast checking being that they forget to check or are not in the habit. 

That’s why we’re so thrilled to having the backing of Millie, Jen and Bethany as we partner with Novartis to get our vital message out to women far and wide to check your breasts, it could save your life. 

Breast checking only takes a few minutes and there's no right way to do it, as long as it’s done regularly. It might be while you’re getting dressed, showering or applying moisturiser. It’s important to remember to check the whole breast area, up to your armpits and collarbone (upper chest) for any changes. 

Many women know that a lump can be a possible symptom of breast cancer, but other signs of the disease to look for also include nipple discharge, dimpling or puckering of the skin of the breast, or changes in size or shape of the breast. Changes in the colour of the breast may also appear differently on various skin tones. Most breast changes, including lumps, won’t be cancer, but it’s important to get any new or unusual changes checked by a GP⁸.”

The research also showed that many women are increasingly deprioritising their health, often as a result of competing pressures in their daily lives.

It revealed that:

• Rising stress levels, cost of living pressures and shifting lifestyles amongst women mean many healthy habits are falling away - including regular breast checks⁶.
• Cost-of-living pressures are also having a significant impact. Nearly half of women (48%) said their health was negatively affected at the peak in April 2024. While this has improved slightly to 44% in September 2025, it remains higher than the 37% reported in 2023^1,6.

Against this backdrop, Novartis UK is partnering with Breast Cancer Now to launch an awareness campaign fronted by international football players Millie Bright, Jen Beattie and Bethany England urging women to check for signs of breast cancer and recurrence if they’ve been diagnosed with early breast cancer before.

The Check Her Out campaign aims to encouraging women to pause, reconnect with their bodies, and prioritise their breast health. Learn more at checkherout.co.uk

About Check Her Out
Check Her Out was developed and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK in partnership with Breast Cancer Now. The campaign encourages women to put their breast health first — checking regularly, knowing what’s normal for them, and speaking up when something changes. Checking your breasts takes only a few minutes, but it can help you spot something new or unusual sooner. 

That’s true after treatment too. For women diagnosed and treated for early breast cancer, the risk of recurrence can persist for decades, yet many feel they lack the information and support they need. While 81% report a fear of recurrence⁷, the majority of early breast cancer patients do not consider themselves very knowledgeable about their risk⁸, and most want more guidance and more open conversations with their breast care team about recurrence⁷. While many women understandably want to move on once treatment ends, staying informed and having open conversations about recurrence risk, monitoring and follow-up care can play an important role in long-term health and wellbeing. 

About Breast Cancer Now
We’re the UK’s leading breast cancer charity. And we’re combining the power of science and support to change breast cancer. Now. 

We’re funding world-class science now, so no one dies of breast cancer in the future. We’re here with life-changing support now, so no one faces breast cancer alone. And we’re campaigning now – for better awareness, quicker, earlier diagnosis and access to treatments – so everyone with breast can live and live well. 

We’ve been making change happen for over 50 years, and we’re not stopping now. Because we have a bold vision. That by 2050, everyone with breast cancer will live and live well. We can’t do it on our own. But together, we can make change happen. Now. 

If you’re worried about breast cancer, or have a question about breast health, we’re here. Speak to our expert nurses now by calling our free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 6000 or visit https://forum.breastcancernow.org/ 

About Novartis
Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. 

In the UK, we champion health and lives through pioneering NHS partnerships, innovative collaborations and a clear focus on the greatest healthcare challenges we all face. We are where science meets hope.

To reimagine medicine with us, visit our website at https://www.novartis.com/uk-en/ and connect on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.