Kilkenny campaigner urges women to self-examine for breast cancer

A Kilkenny patient advocate is encouraging women to do a self-check and to use a simple guide to
carry out an effective self-examination

The campaign was launched by An Taoiseach Michéal Martin at government buildings
together with patient ambassador, Ciara Foskin, and Director of Nursing Services at the
Marie Keating Foundation, Helen Forristal.

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The Marie Keating Foundation, in association with Exact Sciences, has launched a new public health education campaign, called ‘Do it for the One you Love’ which is designed to encourage women to regularly self-check their breasts to support the early detection of breast cancer.

Ciara Foskin a content designer, author and patient advocate from Kilkenny shared her experience and advice.

“I was diagnosed in February 2024 with Stage 2B Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I am a busy mum, and my daughter was just nine at the time. I had faced a year that saw a lot of changes and with so much happening I dismissed initial signs. All my life, I was prone to cysts in my breasts and thought the lump in my left breast was initially just another cyst. But this time it wasn’t. Had I known earlier, I would have gone to my GP sooner. I urge other women to get to know their own body, check your breasts regularly and never dismiss changes. It is better to go get checked and find out it is nothing, than miss an opportunity to detect cancer in its earlier stages when your treatment path and prognosis will be so much better”

The initiative comes as figures show the Health Service Executive’s BreastCheck national screening service for women aged 50-69 has missed its screening targets for two years in a row.  The reported shortfall in BreastCheck screenings over the last two years is deeply worrying. Missing the target by 76,334 screenings representing thousands of women who have been left waiting for screening that could mean the difference between catching cancer early or facing a much more difficult diagnosis later on.

A particular cause of concern is the rising trend breast cancer in those under screening age
it makes it even more important for women to make self-checking a priority. Within the 20-
49 age range there were 677 diagnoses were recorded in 2013, a total of 853 were noted in
2022,a 26% increase. The data is from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland.

Ciara Foskin has written a poetry collection, Meet the Follicles which features poems about her cancer experience alongside other work. The book will be launched at The Book Centre in Kilkenny on November 11 at 6pm.