Understanding your body, attending routine health checks and screenings, and making informed lifestyle choices are all proactive steps you can take to protect your health. The sooner you notice any changes, the sooner you can receive the advice and help you need.

The HPV vaccine is offered to children between the ages of 12-13. This vaccines protects against harmful strains of HPV which can cause cancer.

For further information on HPV, visit our page on prevention and protection:

Depending on your age and risk, you may be invited to appointments where parts of your body will be checked for cancer. It’s important to attend these screenings when you’re invited, as they can help pick up symptoms early.

Cancer is not usually inherited, but some types – mainly breast, ovarian, colorectal and prostate cancer – can be strongly influenced by genes and can run in families.

Talk to your doctor if cancer runs in your family and you’re worried you may get it too. They may refer you to a local genetics service for an NHS genetic test, which will tell you if you have inherited one of the cancer risk genes.

What are BRCA mutations?

When checking your breasts, the texture should be relatively similar throughout, with some natural lumpiness that feels similar on both sides. The skin on your breasts should appear smooth and even, without noticeable redness, irritation, or unusual skin texture changes.

How to check your breasts

For further information on breast health:

Everyone’s vulva is unique, and it’s important to know what’s normal for you so you can be aware of any changes – no matter how small.

Abnormal vaginal bleeding and blood-stained discharge can be a sign of cancer. While most people with unusual bleeding won’t have cancer, tracking your period will help you spot any unusual symptoms if you need to talk to your doctor.

For further information on periods:

It is equally important to be aware of any changes in your body if you are trans or non-binary.

Cancer can have a long-lasting impact on every aspect of your life. Your medical team at the hospital and your doctor can work together to care for your needs and worries as they come up.

If you are affected by cancer, Cancer Matters Wessex has lots of information on local support and services, including:

This video from Dorset County Hospital and the Dorset Cancer Partnership provides health and wellbeing information for patients, relatives and carers, aimed at supporting you to make healthier lifestyle changes and improve your quality of life.

Prehabilitation or prehab means getting ready for cancer treatment in whatever time you have before it starts.

It covers:

Physical activity can be an important part of your recovery after cancer treatment. During treatment, even just spending less time sitting down and taking short walks can help.

Being active has many benefits and can help to:

Being active at recommended levels and keeping to a healthy weight may reduce the risk of certain cancers coming back.

If you are not used to exercising or haven’t exercised for a while, you may worry you’re not going to be able to keep it going. Being active doesn’t mean you have to exercise intensely. To start with it can be as simple as going for short walks, doing things around the house or gardening.

Certain cancer treatments can change the way your body looks which can alter the way you think or feel about it.

A diagnosis of cancer and cancer treatment may affect your sex life.

For further information on how to live well, visit Live Well Dorset:

Early detection, regular screenings, and knowing the signs of cancer can help save lives. By understanding your body, attending routine health checks, and making informed lifestyle choices, you can take proactive steps to protect your health.

Breast cancer forms in breast tissue. Breast tissue is not only in your breasts, it goes all the way up to your collarbone and under your armpit. Everyone has breast tissue – people of all ages, races and genders. If breast cancer is diagnosed early, it can often be treated successfully.

The best way to spot early signs of breast cancer is to attend routine and regular mammogram screening and to regularly check your breasts for changes.

Breast screening (mammogram) is an x-ray of your breasts that checks for cancers that are too small to see or feel. Anyone registered with an NHS doctor as female will be invited for breast screening every three years between the ages of 50 and 71.

You may get a referral for more tests or to see a specialist at a breast clinic if your doctor thinks you have symptoms that could be cancer. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.

For further information on breast screening, visit our page on prevention and protection:

Breast Cancer Now has released information packs for during and after breast cancer treatment.

Your cervix connects your womb to your vagina. Anyone with a cervix can get cervical cancer. Though it can affect people of any age, it is most common between the ages of 30-34.

Cervical screening, which used to be called a smear test, is a test to check the health of the cervix and help prevent cervical cancer. It’s offered to women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64.

For further information on cervical screening, visit our page on prevention and protection:

There is currently no screening for ovarian cancer, so it is important that you know how to spot early signs and symptoms.

Ovarian cancer – the facts – @talkswithdrsesay

Vaginal cancer is a very rare cancer that’s found anywhere in the vagina. Vaginal cancer is nearly always caused by an infection from certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). It is important that young people receive the vaccination that prevents this virus.

Vaginal cancer is often found and prevented by attending cervical screening, which aims to find and treat abnormalities before they turn into cancer.

For further information on HPV and cervical screening, visit our page on prevention and protection:

Vulval cancer is rare in people under 50 who have not yet gone through menopause.

Womb (uterus) cancer is cancer that affects the womb. It’s most common in women who’ve been through menopause.

Getting a cancer diagnosis can be worrying. Help and advice is available. Talk to your doctor if you’re worried, and keep a diary of your symptoms.

You may need to attend hospital for tests and specialist appointments. Dorset has lots of cancer services, including specialist breast and gynaecology clinics.

Online information and support can be useful to help you understand and come to term with your diagnosis. If you don’t feel comfortable joining an in-person support group, online communities can support you.