Asian women at risk of breast cancer as two-thirds 'too shy' to take up vital screening



British Asian women are only half as likely as non-Asians to attend potentially life-saving breast cancer screenings, a study has found.



Doctors have long suspected there was a lower take-up rate of the routine check-ups among minority populations.

A nurse check's a patient's mammogram. A study in Oldham found Asian women were far more reluctant to attend breast screenings

But the first study of its kind reveals that in less well-off neighbourhoods of Oldham only 35 per cent of Asian women were likely to attend screening, compared to 70 per cent of non-Asian women.

This puts them at risk of a late diagnosis and vastly reduces the chances that the cancer can be cured.

The research will be discussed at the Asian Women's Health Awareness Conference, at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester tomorrow.

Breast cancer specialist Lester Barr said a range of factors stopped many Asian women from getting checked.

Mr Barr, who works at Wythenshawe and The Christie hospitals, said: 'The issue is more than a language issue. There is less breast awareness within the Asian community.



'There are cultural problems that make them shy to come forward and discuss it with family and friends.'



Nighat Awan, chief executive of the Shere Khan restaurant group, whose mother Mushtari Siddiqi died of breast cancer aged 51, will be speaking at the conference.



Mrs Awan, 55, originally from Didsbury, said: 'Asian people are very closed-door. They think let's not talk about it and it might go away. We have to tell people to deal with it.'