Did anyone see the programme about breasts on channel 4 at 9p.m last night? I was furious because they implied that cancer tumours are always hard or gritty lumps of different sizes that you can feel by self-examination. I always self-eaxmined, but never felt my lump! Nor could the doctors…this could give loads of women a false sense of security. Screening is vital. I have tried to email the website for Embarrassing bodies but it is not online. Can anyone contact them? Or can the Moderator?
Zoe
I saw the programme and thought it skimmed over the whole BC issue and dealt more with the cosmetic side of things and womens hang-ups. They mentioned lumps and nipple problems but as you have experienced not everyone finds a lump. I think they could have pushed home the screening side of things more although I did feel for the lady with the whoppers.
AJxxx
Hi Zoe & AJ
Had a quick look on the Channel 4 website – they have a comments section for this programme, at channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/conditions/breast-cancer/, where you’ll be able to give them some feedback about their coverage of breast cancer. I didn’t see the programme, so haven’t commented, but many others have.
Marilyn x
Hiya,
I saw the programme and was annoyed for various reasons to be honest. The fact that they said the lumps were ALWAYS hard and gritty, which we know to be rubbish!!! Oh,and the fact that a lady with a mastectomy was on a programme entitled ‘EMBARRASING BODIES’. I do not consider my body to be in any way ‘embarrasing’ and felt quite upset and angry about this. Also, whilst I felt some sympathy for the woman with the humungous boobs, I did think she was being a bit pathetic harping on about how she wished she had no boobs at all. I thought, you wouldn’t be saying that if you were one of the thousands that has had to have a mastectomy! If all I had to moan about was huge boobs then I think I’d consider myself very fortunate!
Enough of my moaning! Sorry but that programme really got to me,
Kelly
-x-
hmm… and they are all so embarrassed that they are prepared to go on TV???
weird…
i only saw last night’s progs on vaginas… hmmm
So did I rjenr2
So now in adition to regular breast examination there is another area which we ought to be looking at !!!
The programme made my blood boil! Ditto with what Kelly says, my body is not embarrasing because I have had a mastectomy.
Cecelia. x
I agree Cecelia - I have also had a mastetomy and although I would have preferred to have kept my boob I am very proud of my scar. Perhaps we ought to contact Channel 4 and send them these comments
Magsi x
I will be interested to see how they treat men’s willies tonight…
Well I watched it all the way through - an amazing feat for me. I never bothered about boobs before but now I’m interested!!! Yes I felt sorry for the lady who was weighed down by hers but not for the lady with small boobs. I just think, are they healthy? then stop moaning.
I did find my lump by self examination, in fact I saw a change first, so at least the programme talked about this and that has got to be good.
Pauline
Hi,
I just wanted to say that I totally understand where you are coming from as it could have been a lot more sensitive and informative (re the gritty lumps) but I do have to kind of stick up for this programme. I have been examining myself for years - the wrong way! Using my fingers and totally missing vital areas. After seeing this programme I used the palm of my hand and lo and behold found a lump. I have been to the doctor and have a breast clinic referral for next week. This programme could have potentially saved my life. I do, however, see where you are coming and why some of you are annoyed so please dont think Im being insensitive as I really dont want to upset or offend anyone. I do think you should inform the makers if you can as they will prob want avoid upsetting people.
Sorry, mean’t to say ‘coming from’ not just ‘coming’ !
womens boobs, mens willys!!! i really think they should strongly recommend when dealing with these issues on tv in front of thousands if not millions of people,that not all bodies are the same and that each one of those,who were examined should see a GOOD gp or specalist,i never found any lumps and ended up getting breast cancer when i was at the fittest i’ve ever been!!!, glad i never once felt embarrased by my 2 scars,for nearly 2 years ,although its been 7 weeks now since i’ve had my boobs on and i never realised i missed them!!!
You’re all making really good points and it’s reminded me. I did find a lump, but didn’t notice the small one growing on the other side. But my mum always taught me to know my body and not be embrassed about it in any way at all. Any change is worth checking out. I think that’s generally good advice for staying healthy.
thats why women are a better breed!!! even though i love my partner!! i’m glad we can be more open,at the end of the day i’d rather be alive
breast self examination was proved to be valueless a few years ago so I don’t know why they were resurrecting it, it has been replaced by breast self awareness, know what is normal for you. About 300,000 women in Russia and china were randomly assigned to bse and non bse groups, one was taught bse the other wasn’t mortality rates in both groups were the same as was cancer diagnosis, the only difference was that the bse lot had more benign lumps biopsied, leading to more side effects e.g surgically induced infections.
So I wasn’t convinced, I found my lump despite never self examining, my breasts were too lumpy - I saw a bulge in the side of my breast. I have small breasts so maybe lumps are more visible. It was mobile, last night’s programme suggested cancerous lumps don’t move. So not desperately informative. Also I wonder if death rates from breast cancer are higher in london since so few women go for mammograms. I seem to remember there weren’t any regional variations in death rates when I saw an ONS survey Looking at regional variation a few years ago
Mole
Really interested in all your comments! I will try again to log on to the website, but perhaps its too late for them to give any advice on-air. It just seemed really counter-productive to maybe give all the thousands of women watching the false impression that lumps are hard/gritty. I thought the ladies showing their fannies the next night were VERY brave…I never thought of looking for anything down there, but it must be even worse than breast cancer, having surgery and radiotherapy on your vulva.
Best of luck to all the girls I havent spoken to before, and old friends, Zoe x