🚨Early detection saves lives - Know Yourself. Feel Yourself. 💗
It's been almost a year since we launched one of our most important breast cancer awareness campaigns; Know Yourself. Feel Yourself. Most of us spend time in front of the mirror every day. We check our hair, our clothes, or whether there's something in our teeth before heading out the door. But how often do we give the same attention to our breasts? BCNA's Know Yourself. Feel Yourself. campaign is built around a simple but powerful message: know what's normal for you, so you're more likely to notice when something changes. 🌸 There's No "Normal" Breast Breasts come in all shapes, sizes and textures. Some people have naturally lumpy breasts. Others may have one breast that's larger than the other. Some have inverted nipples. For many, these differences are completely normal. 💕 That's why breast awareness isn't about comparing yourself to someone else. It's about becoming familiar with your own body and understanding what's normal for you. Why Breast Awareness Matters Many people know about breast screening and mammograms, but breast awareness is something you can practise at any age and at any stage of life. Regular self-checks help you become familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel. If something changes, you're more likely to notice it and seek advice from your healthcare professional. 🌿 Changes to be aware of can include: 🔹 A new lump or thickening 🔹 Changes in breast size or shape 🔹 Dimpling or puckering of the skin 🔹 Redness, crusting or unusual skin changes 🔹 A nipple that suddenly turns inward 🔹 Swelling or unusual pain If you notice something that is unusual for you, it's important to make an appointment with your healthcare professional. Building Breast Checks Into Your Routine Breast awareness starts with something simple: getting to know your own body. 💗 Know yourself. Feel yourself. Know your normal. For more information and to watch BCNA's breast self-check video, visit the Know Yourself. Feel Yourself. campaign page on the BCNA website here: https://www.bcna.org.au/know-yourself-feel-yourself"Early detection saved my life" ❤️
When Nicole was diagnosed with breast cancer, it came as a particular shock. She was fit, healthy, active, and regularly checked her breasts. Despite having no obvious risk factors, Nicole noticed a change and trusted her instincts. Acting quickly led her to seek medical advice, which ultimately resulted in her diagnosis. By sharing her story, Nicole hopes to encourage others to become familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel. 'Knowing your normal' can help you notice changes early and seek advice from a health professional as soon as possible. 👉 Read Nicole's story and learn more about the importance of breast awareness ❤️ Learn how to complete a breast self-check here 👀 Have you ever noticed a change through self-checking or breast awareness? Call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 to receive support - we are here to help 📞💛🖤❤️NAIDOC WEEK: Sun, 5 July 2026 – Sun, 12 July 2026
NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate, recognise and honour the strength, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 💪 This NAIDOC Week, we invite you to revisit insights shared by BCNA Board Member and proud Aboriginal woman, Jacinta Elston, as she reflects on her experiences from the 2024 Think Tank discussions on cancer care for First Peoples. Drawing on her own breast cancer experience, Jacinta speaks about the importance of culturally safe care, listening to First Peoples' voices, and strengthening the approaches we know are making a positive difference for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by breast cancer. As we celebrate this year's NAIDOC Week theme, we also acknowledge the ongoing work needed to ensure equitable and accessible cancer care for all First Peoples communities. 👉For information and support for First Peoples, visit our website: https://www.bcna.org.au/resources/articles/information-for-first-peoples 📞Or contact the BCNA Helpline on 1800 500 258, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.🩺 Early detection & awareness - access BreastScreen services in your state
Regular breast screening is an important part of regular health screening and 'knowing your normal'. Knowing where and how to access BreastScreen in your region makes it easier to look after your breast health with regular screening. Use the links below to access BreastScreen in your area, services are available to people over 40 years: 🌸 BreastScreen VIC - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen NSW - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen QLD - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen SA - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen ACT - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen WA - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen TAS - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen NT - Find A Screening Location Those under 40 years looking for support from BreastScreen please click here and visit your GP if you notice any unusual changes #KnowYourselfFeelYourself For those who are already diagnosed and completed treatment, there are specific resources available for follow-up screening, please read here for more information.💡 Early detection & awareness - access BreastScreen services in your state
Regular breast screening is an important part of regular health screening and 'knowing your normal'. Knowing where and how to access BreastScreen in your region makes it easier to look after your breast health with regular screening. Use the links below to access BreastScreen in your area, services are available to people over 40 years: 🌸 BreastScreen VIC - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen NSW - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen QLD - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen SA - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen ACT - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen WA - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen TAS - Find A Screening Location 🌸 BreastScreen NT - Find A Screening Location Those under 40 years looking for support from BreastScreen please click here and visit your GP if you notice any unusual changes #KnowYourselfFeelYourself For those who are already diagnosed and completed treatment, there are specific resources available for follow-up screening, please read here for more information.🌸 Behind the screen with BreastScreen Victoria🌸
BreastScreen Victoria has recently shared several updates highlighting current awareness work across the breast cancer screening sector including: ✨ Launching Behind the Screen, a six‑part podcast offering a closer look at breast screening and the people behind the program. ✨A new permanent clinic also opened in Caroline Springs, improving local access to screening. ✨ They are also continuing the AI image‑reading trial, now active across one clinic in each of the state’s eight regions. Over 7,500 clients have taken part so far, with a statewide rollout planned by June 2026. BreastScreen Victoria will also appear at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show from 25–29 March, offering attendees the chance to learn more about breast health and book screening appointments. Thank you to BreastScreen for helping increase impact of awareness for breast cancer ❤️Chest Cancer Breast Cancer
Hello readers (all members, carers, staff, the public), Having read various requests, pleas, posts that communicate the need to INCLUDE males, in fact all people of any gender and age, and still see vastly inadequate awareness and action, please understand why this call for action might reflect how urgent, emphatic and furious it can become. How many requests, how many years, how many lives suffering shame/embarrassment/stigma/isolation, how many deaths, how much ignorance, even among today's GPs, how little support, how many undiagnosed cancer cases??? For anyone who cannot feel empathy, like it-does-not-affect-me or they-are-JUST-minority, then think… if it is your: son, brother, father, partner, husband, grandfather, grandmother, child, other loved ones, or someone you respect. Actions please, especially by BCNA, and other organisations, in the position of power to do something about it -right now. Strongly recommend: Marketing Team, able and influential. BCNA pages’ banners are the worst misinformation propagator of ‘women-only, pink pink bathing-big-busts-the-goal-in-life; no children, no males, no matter cancer undiagnosed untreated they are nobody. Requests of years ago still ignored. Please right now stop plastering pink pink bright pink all over, highlighting bulging breasts in pink bathing suits as if for a women-only swim club, exclusively pink bright pink skirts, and just women maniacally laughing. Over-the-top incongruous. Please don’t switch to extreme stereotypes either, like typically the most wrinkly hand being held by an age-contrast hand, in copy-cat robots’ stock-photos marketing. While you’re adjusting, please very ably and kindly reduce all the auto flipping/sliding panels, hyperactive donate-button, and fast drop-drown whenever we just hover or just breathe; it’s turning us into a nervous twitchy moving-image-nauseous wreck. Some have x months to live, can marketing spend 3 hours to make a beta, 3 days to go live, for them to see in time? Merchandise. Please adjust the pink pink pink ribbons. How about a more INFORMATIVE, educating, creative, inclusive pink+green+brown for example, avoiding gender-again gender blue. Something neutral and universal? A flower+leaf+stem, sun moon star, or a simple band? A sticky post please, kind can-do staff, to educate and change habit. Something like “Genderless breast cancer affects all”, in green? Avoid gender-colour. Members posting please use neutral communication instead of all these ‘lovely ladies’. We are supposed to know better, and the public can read these posts to learn from us. No, it is not enough to have ONE day of the year for half the population -cancer affects everyone in the person’s life. No, it is not acceptable to shove males, children, and so-name-called CALD (we are all of us diverse multicultural so it’s not right for one group to name call the ‘others’ as diverse) to go talk among yourselves in that corner or in a locked group. As if get out of my sight. As if we don’t care. As if you’re not one of us. It is not fair to burden this task on the shoulders of the ‘not one of us’ to educate the mass. The task is on us. Please get updates of info to reach and make sure GPs and all other medical professionals are up-to-date and aware. Still a problem, in 2026. Please action, everyone. Kind members please do, if not already. Please search ‘male’, ‘men’, and topic ‘Inclusion’ 2019? on this site, to listen, to hear, to understand, to be kinder. Let’s mark today’s date 20-Mar-2026 awaiting action. We are counting, each day. More suffering. Any effective action. Please. With hope and thanks. [Edit: Tagging PeterB and traveltext to acknowledge and show appreciation.]March 6th was Lymphoedema Awareness Day ❤️
Living with lymphoedema after breast cancer can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. It’s okay to feel upset or overwhelmed by the experience of a chronic condition. Whether it’s impacting your body image or your relationships, your feelings are valid. The good news? As you learn to manage the physical symptoms, the emotional weight often lifts too. Steps to support living with lymphoedema: ✨ Talk to your team: Reach out to your breast care nurse, GP, or therapist. ✨ Access help: Ask your GP about a Mental Health Treatment Plan and/or a Chronic Condition Management Plan for Medicare-subsidised support. ✨Connect: Sharing experiences with others who "get it" can make all the difference. Our incredible Online Network is here for you, please reach out whenever you need to chat. For more information and support call our Helpline on 1800 500 258 between Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.📣March 3rd - TNBC Awareness Day
Today is Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Day, a day dedicated to honouring everyone affected by TNBC, and recognising the unique challenges that come with this diagnosis. TNBC can feel overwhelming. It’s often fast‑growing, it has fewer targeted treatment options, and it can bring a heavy emotional load. But today is also about something bigger: awareness, understanding, and strength. A heartfelt thank you to our very own Online Community member Kim, for sharing your story to help share awareness and connection for those living with, and caring for anyone affected by TNBC. ✨ Read Kim's story below ✨ I'm still me but I'm a different version of me. I'm working through what that version is.’ Kim was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in 2024. 15 months on, she’s sharing what she wishes others knew about living with TNBC, along with her broader message for others diagnosed. ‘Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, “Wow, how the heck did you get through all that?” and other times I'm like, “Who are you?”’ Are you someone living with TNBC or wanting to learn more? Join our private, welcoming community group here with others who understand the impact of living with TNBC.Breast cancer has seen a rise in the diagnosis of young women - awareness is key! 🔑
Growing numbers of women are being diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40. While experts are not able to say for sure what is driving this, the impact is still notably huge on both the healthcare system and the real lives of real people. Finding breast cancer early gives you the best chance of effective treatment. Being breast aware at any age means knowing what’s normal for your body, so changes can be noticed sooner. Consider this your friendly reminder to #Know Yourself. Feel Yourself. , and that awareness and early detection are key. Don't be afraid to share the love and gently 'nudge' your close friends & family to be more breast aware ❤️ 👉 Learn how to perform a breast self-check at https://www.bcna.org.au/resources/screening-and-diagnosis/how-to-check-your-breasts 👉Watch the 9 news coverage of the issue here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/929813956177041
