NUFFIELD Health and Wellbeing Centre in Farnham is calling on people to support the fight against breast cancer this October by backing the Royal Surrey County Hospital’s Detecting Women’s Cancers appeal.

The Royal Surrey is raising funds for a new tomosynthesis 3D mammography machine which it says will help detect breast cancer earlier and help more women to beat breast cancer in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire.

It is just £10,000 short of its £500,000 appeal target and the Nuffield centre in Weybourne Road is helping the hospital get over the line with an array of offers and events planned for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Reception staff have traded their normal Nuffield green neck scarves for pink scarves to show support and raise awareness.

And non-members are invited to donate £5 to the Royal Surrey appeal throughout October in exchange for one-day passes to the centre’s facilities which include a gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna as well as fitness suites and treatment rooms.

Nuffield Health Farnham physiologist Dan D’Amario has also offered the following lifestyle tips to reduce the risk of breast cancer and guidance on symptoms that could be warning signs:

• Exercise can assist with the reduction of inflammation which has been linked with increased cancer risk. Most studies suggest that 30 to 60 minutes per day of moderate to high-intensity physical activity is associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk.

• Increase cruciferous vegetables intake such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts. These contain sulforophane, which have strong anti-cancer properties.

• Decrease alcohol consumption. Alcohol (ethanol) is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. It can cause cancer by damaging DNA and stopping our cells from repairing this damage. The government recommended women do not regularly exceed two to three units per day.

• Maintain a healthy BMI (18.5 to 24.9) and waist size (less than 80cm). Reports from both the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Cancer Research Fund conclude that there is convincing evidence that being obese or overweight cause’s breast cancer after menopause.

For more information, visit the Nuffield Health and Wellbeing Centre in Weybourne Road or call ahead on 01252 747500. Alternatively, donations to the Royal Surrey appeal can be made online at uk.virgin

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