Taoiseach Micheál Martin with patient ambassador Ciara Foskin and Director of Nursing Services of the Marie Keating Foundation Helen Forristal and Sarah Raynia of Exact Sciences photographed at Government Buildings as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, taken today Wednesday 29 October 2025. Photograph: Government Information Service

‘Do it for the One you Love’ – campaign to encourage women to self-examine for Breast Cancer

• Rising trend of breast cancer in younger women below the testing age
• Missed screening target by 76,334 over past two years

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.

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.

The campaign is about encouraging women to do a self-check and to use a simple guide to carry out an effective self-examination.

This new initiative includes an on-street campaign, in Dublin’s Henry St on Thurs Oct 30^th, where Marie Keating Foundation nurse specialists and patient’ ambassadors will hand out Information Guides showing how to perform these self-examination procedures and provide information to the public (guide attached).

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.

We encourage all women invited through this programme to attend their scheduled appointments.

Maintaining momentum is essential, as early detection significantly improves survival rates and leads to better outcomes. It is therefore crucial for women of all ages to be familiar with their bodies and to regularly perform self-examinations to identify any changes. While most breast lumps are benign, it is always advisable to consult your GP if you notice anything unusual. Do not wait until screening age to make your breast health a priority.

According to the Marie Keating Foundation, there is no need to worry or fear about self-examination as only one in ten lumps require further investigation – recent figures show that 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some stage in their life. There are almost 3,616 females and around 30 male cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year.

Speaking about his support of this campaign An Taoiseach Michéal Martin said “I am delighted to launch this very important public health education campaign “Do it for the One you Love” for the Marie Keating Foundation to support the early detection of breast cancer. I would strongly encourage every woman to engage with this campaign, which provides full information on how to self-check and what to do if you notice anything unusual.”

Helen Forristal, Director of Nursing Services at the Marie Keating Foundation says “The Marie Keating Foundation is delighted to partner with Exact Sciences to raise awareness about the importance of early detection when it comes breast cancer. It is important to get familiar with your own body, to look and feel for any changes. Look out for new lumps, rashes, puckering, inverted nipples or pain.  If you notice anything that is unusual for you, go get it checked. It could be nothing but if it is something, early detection will lead to a more positive outcome and easier treatment path.

“It is also good to know your own family history so that you know if you might be at risk, we always say knowledge is power. Know your body, notice changes, know your family history and chat to your GP if you have any concerns at all” concludes Forristal.

Andy Roberts, Head of UK and Ireland at Exact Sciences, said “We are delighted to partner with and support the Marie Keating Foundation in such an important public awareness campaign.  Although there have been many breakthroughs in breast cancer care, early detection is key to improving outcomes.  Together we will work to help improve the lives of those affected by breast cancer in Ireland and beyond.”

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 9 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”