One in three people in the UK have never checked their chests, despite breast cancer being one of the most common types of the disease. The finding comes from new research by Asda, which also identified the West Midlands as the region least likely to check, with 39% of people there saying they do not monitor their chest for changes.
Regions least likely to check
The West Midlands has been described as a “checking desert”, followed by Wales (38%), Scotland (37%), the East Midlands (36%), London (35%) and Yorkshire (31%).
One in seven UK women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, with around 55,500 women and 400 men expected to receive a diagnosis this year.
Pink trolleys and QR codes
To encourage more people to check, Asda is turning trolleys bright pink across 10 stores in areas where checking rates are lowest. The trolleys feature QR codes on the handles that link shoppers to health information.
The initiative is part of Asda Tickled Pink, which has supported breast cancer awareness for 30 years and aims to make checking boobs, pecs or chests as routine as an Asda shop. The QR codes also take shoppers to Asda’s Pledge-o-Meter, a live tracker where people can pledge to check their chests regularly, encourage friends and family to do the same, and make an optional donation to Tickled Pink.
Chest-checking messages will also appear on Tickled Pink products in Asda stores this October and on around 900 million till receipts over the course of the year.
Campaign aims and supporter stories
Emma Betts, Charity Partnerships Manager at Asda, said: “Our Tickled Pink campaign has raised over £100 million in the last 30 years. We’re driving awareness of breast cancer and early detection by encouraging everyone to check their chest.”
She added: “We’re hoping our customers will embrace our bold new pink trolleys and sign our pledge to help us in our mission to get one million more customers checking their chests.”
Joanna Orford, 59, from Ruislip Manor, is supporting this year’s campaign after her own diagnosis. She said: “After noticing a change in texture in my breast, I went to an appointment with a consultant at the hospital. I was told I had breast cancer. My first thought was my three daughters. I wanted to be strong for them and minimise the impact it would have on their lives. But as treatment progressed, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and knew I needed to tell them.”
She continued: “After a long stint of treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, I attended Breast Cancer Now’s Moving Forward course, funded by Asda. It was a safe space to share our experiences. Chest awareness was vital to getting the treatment I needed, and I want to share this life-saving message with as many people as possible.”
Survival rates and charity support
In the 1990s, 70% of women survived breast cancer for five years or more. Today, following advances in research, detection, diagnosis and treatment, that figure is nearly 90%. Over the past three decades, Asda Tickled Pink has raised more than £100 million for breast cancer research, education and support.
Carrie Green, associate director of philanthropy and partnerships at Breast Cancer Now, said: “The Tickled Pink partnership has achieved amazing things over the last 30 years, but with a third of Brits admitting they’ve never checked their chest, it’s clear more vital awareness work is needed.” She added: “The sooner breast cancer is found, the more likely treatment is to be successful, meaning chest checking can save lives.”
Natalie Haskell, CEO at CoppaFeel!, added: “These pink trolleys bring a vital reminder directly into communities where people are least likely to be checking, helping to start conversations and making breast awareness part of everyday life. We’re proud to be part of Asda Tickled Pink to reach people locally with the confidence to know what’s normal for them and act early if something changes.”
