While more than 90 per cent of women can identify a lump in their breast as a potential warning sign of breast cancer, nearly two million Australian women are unaware that small changes to the nipple can also be a sign of the disease.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, new data from the Two Sisters Foundation reveals many women are unaware that nipple changes are a common sign of breast cancer.
In Australia, nearly one in three women don’t regularly check their breasts. And what’s most concerning is that one in seven women will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime.
The latest campaign from the Two Sisters Foundation is encouraging women (and men!) to check their breasts and look out for any changes, including to their nipples. This could include a change in shape, direction, skin, or discharge from the nipples.
For Ellie Rogers and Lisa Bardas, founders of the Two Sisters Foundation, making sure more women are proactive about their breast health stems from a deeply personal experience.
At age 38, Ellie was diagnosed with breast cancer and discovered she carried the BRCA gene mutation, undergoing months of invasive treatments and procedures, including a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and hysterectomy.
Her sister, Lisa, also discovered she carried the BRCA gene mutation after Ellie’s diagnosis, which increased her own risk of developing breast cancer by 70 per cent. A woman who carries the BRCA gene mutation has a 7 in 10 chance of developing breast cancer and a 4 in 10 chance of developing ovarian cancer.
Lisa opted to undergo preventative surgery, with the sisters undergoing their hysterectomies and double mastectomies on the same day.
To help drive awareness and raise funds for research into breast cancer, the Two Sisters Foundation is partnering with Australian designer Lucy Folk this Breast Cancer Awareness Month to create a solid gold nipple-shaped ring.
Valued at $10,000, the ring is a fun, visual reminder for women to pay attention to their nipples and take note of any changes. Australians can enter an exclusive draw to win the one-of-a-kind ring, with all proceeds supporting WEHI’s pioneering breast cancer research. The ring also doubles as a reminder for us all to check our breasts and nipples.
“It’s a fun way to get people talking about it. It’s not a taboo issue. It’s just something that needs to be done and needs to be checked and talked about,” Ellie tells Women’s Agenda. “It can save lives.”
WEHI researchers are currently working to better understand breast cancer with the goal of stopping it before it even begins.
“Our work focuses on prevention. We’ve already discovered the likely cells of origin for BRCA-related cancers, and our research has led to clinical trials that could prevent these cancers from ever developing, without the need for surgery,” says Professor Jane Visvader, Co-Head of the Breast Cancer Laboratory at WEHI.
Lisa says that without the important scientific breakthroughs that have already been made in this space, both her and Ellie may not be here. They want to raise funds to ensure future generations of women can continue to experience better outcomes.
“When I found out I carried the BRCA mutation, I knew I needed to take control. What we’ve learned from our experience is that knowledge is power,” she says.
“Without the important breakthroughs being achieved by organisations such as WEHI, my sister and I might not be here today. By investing in this research, we can help give women options beyond surgery, preventing cancers before they even start.”
The power of sisterhood
When Ellie was diagnosed with breast cancer, Lisa dropped everything to be by her sister’s side and support her through treatment.
“My whole world stopped and went completely on pause. My husband took over our family and life, so I could be there completely, 100 per cent for Ellie,” Lisa says.
“The moment that phone call came in, and I went and collected her from that appointment — everything changed. Everything shattered in that unknown space of a few words: ‘You have cancer’. And that doesn’t just change for that particular person, the whole village is affected.”
Ellie says the experience brought them together and after her recovery, it made them want to help other women and future generations.
“It really brought us together and then afterwards, we just wanted to make a difference. And I think when people spend time with Lisa and I, they really kind of feel how connected we are,” she says.
“We wanted everyone to kind of be included in this sisterhood, which is just about women supporting each other and having people to be honest with and lean on, because not everyone has that.”
The Two Sisters Foundation has a goal of raising $5 million in five years to support the work being done at WEHI.
You can enter the exclusive draw here.