Your body is made up of cells which grow and divide throughout your lifetime. Sometimes, cells begin to grow and spread more than they should. This causes a block of cells known as a ‘tumour’ to form. Tumours can be either benign (non-threatening) or malignant (threatening). Cancer is the name given to malignant tumours.

In the UK, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. Breast cancer affects women of all cultures, backgrounds and religions. Around 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer for women in the UK. Men can get breast cancer too, but this is so rare that we do not need to screen men.