Everything you need to know about breast cancer — from statistics and signs, to the latest treatments and breakthrough imaging technology.
What Is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer begins when cells in the breast tissue divide and grow in an uncontrolled way. It can be invasive (able to spread) or non-invasive (contained within the ducts or lobules). [Breast Cancer Now]
The main subtypes of breast cancer include:
- Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) — the most common type [Cancer Research UK]
- Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) [Cancer Research UK]
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) — accounts for ~15% of cases, around 8,000 per year in the UK [Barts Health – Pembrolizumab Trial]
- HER2-positive breast cancer — targeted treatments available [Cancer Research UK – Targeted Therapy]
- Inflammatory breast cancer — rare and aggressive; often no lump present [Cancer Research UK]
Around 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year. [Cancer Research UK]
Why Stage at Diagnosis Changes Everything
The single most powerful factor in breast cancer outcomes is the stage at which it is found. Survival figures below are for women in England diagnosed 2016–2020: [Cancer Research UK – Survival]
| Stage | Description | 5-Year Survival | Key Point |
| Stage 1 | Confined to breast | ~100% | Most curable |
| Stage 2 | Spread to nearby nodes | ~90% | Highly treatable |
| Stage 3 | Spread to chest/skin | ~72% | Complex treatment |
| Stage 4 | Spread to other organs | 28% | Managed, not cured |
Sources: Cancer Research UK, NCI Survival Data. [Cancer Research UK – Survival] [NCI]
Breast cancer mortality rates in the UK have fallen by almost 46% since the early 1970s — driven by better screening, greater awareness, and improved treatments. [Cancer Research UK]
However, the UK’s five-year survival rate of 86% still lags behind the United States (90.2%), Australia (89.5%), and Japan (89.4%). [Nuffield Trust – Cancer Survival Rates]
Education: Know Your Breasts, Know the Signs
Breast awareness means knowing how your breasts normally look and feel, so you can quickly spot changes. [Breast Cancer Now]
In 2024, only 55% of UK women regularly checked their breasts — and 11% had never checked at all. [Breast Cancer Now – Facts & Statistics]
Warning signs to watch for:
- A new lump or thickening in the breast or armpit [Cancer Research UK – Symptoms]
- Changes in the size, shape, or feel of a breast
- Skin puckering, dimpling, or an orange-peel texture
- Nipple changes — turning inward, discharge, or a rash/crust that does not heal [NICE NG101]
- Unexplained, persistent pain in one breast or armpit
Any unexplained breast symptom should be assessed by a GP. The NHS two-week-wait pathway ensures urgent referrals are seen within 14 days. [NICE NG101]
Early Detection: Screening Saves Lives
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women aged 50–70 for a mammogram every three years. [NHS Digital – Screening 2024–25]
In 2024–25, 2.15 million women were screened — a 10% increase on the previous year. [NHS Digital]
19,291 cancers were detected through screening in 2024–25 — a 16% rise compared to 16,677 the year before. [NHS Digital] [Hospital Healthcare Europe]
Around 3 in 10 women still do not attend when invited. [Hospital Healthcare Europe]
Among first-time invitees, only 20.9% attended — versus 89.1% among those with previous screening experience. [Hospital Healthcare Europe]
Breast Cancer Now estimates that reaching 80% uptake could have found an additional 2,228 breast cancers in 2024–25 alone. [Hospital Healthcare Europe]
The Challenge With Traditional Mammography
Standard mammography misses up to 30% of cancers overall. [Koning Health]
In women with dense breast tissue, that rises to as high as 70% — because both dense tissue and tumours appear white on a 2D scan, making them indistinguishable. [Koning Health] [Euronoxx – Koning VERA]
Advanced Detection: The Koning VERA Breast CT
Euronoxx Medical Group is the exclusive UK distributor of the Koning VERA Breast CT (KBCT) — a breakthrough 3D imaging system that changes what clinicians can find. [Euronoxx Medical Group]
- True 360° 3D imaging in just 7 seconds [Koning Health]
- No compression — completely pain-free [Euronoxx – Koning VERA]
- Detects tumours as small as 2mm and calcifications of 200 microns — enabling Stage 0 and Stage 1 detection [Koning Health]
- Ideal for dense breast tissue — overcomes the core limitation of standard mammography [Euronoxx – Koning VERA]
- Radiation dose comparable to a standard mammogram [Koning Health]
- 3D guided biopsies in ~15 minutes — no additional device needed [Euronoxx – Koning VERA]
To learn more: euronoxxmedical.com/koning
Timely Treatment: What Happens After Diagnosis
A multidisciplinary team (MDT) of surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and specialist nurses will build a personalised treatment plan. [Macmillan Cancer Support]
Surgery
Most people begin with surgery. A lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) removes the tumour and a margin of healthy tissue. A mastectomy removes the entire breast. Breast reconstruction is available at the time of surgery or later. [Cancer Research UK – Treatment] [Macmillan]
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is typically offered after breast-conserving surgery, usually involving 5–15 treatment sessions, to destroy any remaining cancer cells. [Cancer Research UK – Treatment] [The Royal Marsden NHS Trust]
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy may be given before surgery (neo-adjuvant) to shrink a tumour, or after surgery to reduce recurrence risk — particularly for hormone-negative and aggressive cancers. [Cancer Research UK – Treatment] [Macmillan]
Hormone Therapy
Most of breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane) block hormones fuelling the cancer, typically taken for 5–10 years post-surgery. [Cancer Research UK – Treatment] [Macmillan]
Targeted Therapy & Immunotherapy
For HER2-positive cancers, trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) target the HER2 protein on cancer cells directly. [Cancer Research UK – Targeted Therapy]
For triple-negative breast cancer — affecting approximately 8,000 women per year in the UK — pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is now NHS-approved. It reduces cancer recurrence by approximately 37% when combined with chemotherapy. [NHS England – Pembrolizumab Deal] [Barts Health – Trial]
In 2025, the landmark PARTNER trial at Addenbrooke’s Hospital (Cambridge) showed 100% three-year survival in patients with BRCA-linked breast cancer treated with chemotherapy combined with olaparib—described as ‘rare’ in oncology. [Cambridge University Hospitals – PARTNER Trial (2025)]
NICE Guideline NG101 governs all diagnosis and treatment decisions for early and locally advanced breast cancer. [NICE NG101]
What You Can Do — Starting Today
1. Check yourself monthly: Know your normal. Report any changes to your GP without delay. [Breast Cancer Now]
2. Attend your NHS screening invitation: When the letter arrives, make the appointment. [NHS Digital]
3. Know your risk factors: Family history, BRCA mutations, dense tissue, age, alcohol use, and weight all play a role. [Cancer Research UK]
4. Ask about advanced imaging: If you have dense breasts or an unclear mammogram, ask about the Koning VERA Breast CT. [Euronoxx Medical Group]
5. Do not wait: Delays in seeking help are one of the main reasons breast cancer is diagnosed at a later stage. [NICE NG101]
Breast cancer is survivable. With the right knowledge, the right technology, and the courage to act quickly, thousands more lives can be saved every year. At Euronoxx Medical Group, that is exactly what we are working towards.