Local breast cancer survivor Gemma Ainger has launched My Breast Friend with the help of The Pink Ladies Charity and one of her Breast Friends.
A new app designed to help people take charge of their breast health through simple, regular self-checks. The free, not-for-profit app – already gaining national attention with support from Strictly’s Amy Dowden – aims to normalise regular checks and create a lifelong routine.
Gemma (pictured) was diagnosed with breast cancer at 42 after noticing something unusual in the shower, despite rarely checking herself, feeling healthy and having no family history.
Weeks later, Gemma was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive breast cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes. During her surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and in remission, she put the energy that she had into creating something that could make a real difference. Something that could have a positive impact on lots of lives.
The cancer was quite advanced, and because she wasn’t checking regularly, she didn’t find it at an earlier stage. If she had caught it sooner, her treatment could have been less aggressive and her outcome more positive. So she wanted others to have that chance and built My Breast Friend, designed to make monthly self-checks quick, easy, and completely normal, creating positive reinforcement and education around breast health, embedding a really important routine.
With 1 in 7 women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, studies show that around 40% of breast cancers are detected by women who notice changes during self-exams, highlighting the importance of knowing your normal. My Breast Friend wants to address the alarming statistic that almost half of women in the UK do not check their breasts regularly, and according to Coppafeel UK, 64% of those aged 18-35 do not check their breasts.
Gemma said: “If I’d be paying attention to my chest, I could have caught my breast cancer sooner. It was sitting there waiting to be found and I didn’t spot it. I needed to do something that would help lots of people not be like me. Something really positive to come from something so terrible.”
Available to download now on the App Store and Google Play, My Breast Friend is launched in collaboration with breast cancer survivor Amy Dowden MBE, star of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing. From her own diagnosis, Amy knows the importance of early detection of breast cancer and has since been using her public platform to promote this message.
Amy Dowden MBE said: “When Gemma told me about her plans for My Breast Friend it was exactly what I had been looking for – something simple and positive people can do to remind them to check monthly, know their bodies, and act early. I immediately wanted to collaborate with her to make the app the best it can be and reach as many people as possible. I know how vital it is that breast cancer is detected early and if you’re not checking your chest then who is? It doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s no reason not to download this app, it could literally save your life.”
