Breast Cancer Awareness Week 2025
What is Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
At the centre of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the goal of increasing public understanding of cancer and empowering people to take action to detect breast cancer as early as possible.
Additionally, the month is dedicated to advancing care for individuals with breast cancer and honouring those with lived experience of the disease – through the campaign‘s widely recognised symbol of the pink ribbon.
The first Breast Cancer Awareness Month took place in 1985, led by a partnership between the American Cancer Society and a British pharmaceutical company, Imperial Chemical Industries. Since then, this international campaign has been raising awareness about other forms of breast cancer, including Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on 13 October and Men‘s Breast Cancer Awareness Week from 17-23 October.
This year‘s theme
The 2025 theme of “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters” was chosen to highlight how each affected individual and their family’s experience with breast cancer varies significantly from one another. Despite the differences, each story must be recognised and heard. Each individual also deserves a high standard of care, irrespective of their environment or resources.
Breast cancer in the UK
Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the UK. Every year almost 56,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Furthermore, breast cancer rates in women in the UK have risen by 24% between 1993 and 2019, making this disease the second most common cause of death in women in the UK. However, since 1975 the death rate from breast cancer has fallen by 41%, due to earlier detection and better treatment.
How you can get involved
Breast Cancer UK has estimated that around 30% of breast cancer cases in the UK could be prevented by making healthier choices. You can take their quiz here to learn more about the lifestyle changes you could make to decrease your risk.
You can also learn more about the symptoms and what to look out for, by clicking here. Breast Cancer Now also runs the Wear It Pink Campaign on 24 October. To find out more about supporting the cause, visit their website.
