Giant game aims to encourage breast screening

A giant snakes and ladders game is being used to encourage women to get breast cancer screening.

The disease kills more than 11,000 each year in the UK, but 46.3% of women do not attend their first scheduled mammogram, according to Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance.

The 10ft x 10ft (3m x 3m) board game is designed to raise awareness of the symptoms and the importance of screening.

Emily Lunn, from Hull York Medical School, which developed the game, said the aim was to "start a conversation".

“There are many challenges people face when thinking about attending breast screening," she said.

"For some, it’s not as easy as just turning up for their mammogram because of various factors.

"This game is not just for women aged 50-70 who are invited for breast screening, it is for everyone. We want everyone to feel comfortable talking about breast screening openly.”

The game will be at various locations across the region during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer Alliance volunteers will be on hand at the sessions in Hull, Bridlington, Scunthorpe, Scarborough, Selby and York to discuss breast cancer, the symptoms and how to check your body for signs of the disease.

Sonia Bowers, 50, from Grimsby, has recovered after being diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2023.

She said she understood how women with busy lives sometimes skipped appointments.

Ms Bowers missed two scheduled scans before she discovered a lump and went to see her GP, who made an emergency hospital referral for treatment.

"Think about all those people you care for, and how they'd feel if you left it too late to be screened," she said.

"For a couple of minutes of discomfort - the time it takes to make a cuppa - you could have peace of mind.

"The earlier breast cancer is detected, the greater the chance of survival.”

The events take place on the following dates:

• 3 October – Morrisons, Bridlington, from 10:00 to 14:00 BST

• 4 October – The Hinge Centre, Bridlington, from 10:00 to 12:00

• 9 October – North Point Shopping Centre, Hull, from 10:00 to 15:00

• 10 October – Promenades Shopping Centre, Bridlington, from 12:00 to 14:00

• 11 October – Lidl, Queensway, Scunthorpe, from 10:00 to 15:00

• 18 October – SEAChange, Scarborough, from 10:00 to 12:00

• 23 October – Sainsbury’s, Selby, from 10:00 to 15:00

• 24 October – Morrisons, Scarborough, from 10:00 to 15:00

• 30 October – Monks Cross, York, from 10:00 to 14:00 GMT

More information on the Breast Cancer Awareness Month can be found here.

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