Promoting breast cancer awareness in older women during the seasonal flu vaccination campaign.

Background:: older women are at high risk of presenting with breast cancer when it has reached a late stage, which may be partly because of poor breast cancer awareness.

Aim:: the aim of this project was to implement and evaluate a new way of delivering the Promoting Early Presentation (PEP) Intervention during flu vaccination appointments in primary care. The PEP Intervention is a 1-minute intervention, accompanied by a booklet and delivered by primary care health professionals to provide older women with the knowledge, confidence and skills to present promptly on discovering symptoms of breast cancer.

Method:: health professionals delivered the PEP Intervention to older women at six general practices in south London. The authors measured changes in breast cancer awareness after the intervention and interviewed practice staff about their experiences of using it.

Findings:: knowledge of breast symptoms and breast checking was greater in women aged 70 years and above after the implementation than before. Health professionals' found it acceptable and feasible to implement.

Conclusion:: this intervention is a novel way of increasing breast cancer awareness in older women, which could contribute to earlier presentation and diagnosis of breast cancer in the UK.