As lawyers we tend to like cold hard facts and can be partial to a statistic, so I will start this piece with one of those.   

As matters stand, in the UK a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes. If nothing is done to change this, by 2040 a woman will be diagnosed every eight minutes. 

I am one of those women. Indeed, because I do not like to do things by halves, I have sat across a desk from a doctor and heard the words “I’m sorry, it’s cancer” not once, but twice in the last five years, all before the age of 40.  

That is how I came to write this article in the lead up to the Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2025. With one in seven women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, this is sadly not niche and is a womens’ health issue. If I can inform and empower just one woman about breast health, that is worthwhile. But ideally, we can do much better than that by highlighting this issue far and wide through the awards.

The topic is also apt in the context of the awards given that there is a huge amount of work to do in the breast cancer field in terms of health inequalities. This can be seen when looking to survival statistics. In terms of socio economics, 82% of women from the most deprived areas in England survive their cancer for five years compared to 88% of women from the least deprived areas. As to ethnicity, 85% of black and 89% of South Asian women in England aged 15-64 survived breast cancer for three years compared to 91% of white women. Black Women Rising, a charity which offers help, information and practical advice for people of colour who have been diagnosed with cancer and @southasianhealthhub (Instagram) do important work in this space.   

So, what is it that I would like you to know and to share with the women in your professional life and beyond?

First, the counter to the sobering statistic at the beginning of this piece is that breast cancer survival is improving and has doubled in the past 50 years in the UK. Around 98% of women in England who are diagnosed at stage 1, will survive for five years or more.   

What this really means is that early detection of the disease saves lives. Yet worryingly, more than half of UK women do not check their breasts regularly for potential signs of breast cancer. The key is for us all to be comfortable with self-checking and to have a regular routine – ideally once a month. If you would benefit from a text reminder to self-check, you can sign up for one from the charity CoppaFeel! For women who are over age 50 and who will be called for mammograms as part of the national screening programme, it is also critical to attend those appointments.

It is important to know that there is no right or wrong way to self-check. It is about knowing what your normal condition is and following up on any concerns should they arise. Breast Cancer Now describes checking your breasts as being as easy as TLC:

• Touch your breasts (include your whole breast area, including up to your collarbone [upper chest] and armpits): can you feel anything new or unusual?
• Look for changes: does anything look different to you?
• Check any new or unusual changes with a GP.

Second, if you or someone close to you are touched by a breast cancer diagnosis, know that you are not alone. It can feel like an isolating path but there is so much support available. Future Dreams Breast Cancer Charity is a support partner for the Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2025. The charity works tirelessly to achieve its aim that “nobody should face breast cancer alone or without hope”. Future Dreams House, located close to Kings’ Cross in London, is the only dedicated breast cancer support centre in the UK and provides a safe and inclusive physical and virtual space (with many services online) offering a range of professional and peer support.   

Finally, and returning to my personal experience, the last few years have led me to the realisation that it has sadly taken two cancer diagnoses for me to give myself permission to prioritise my health and wellbeing. I share this hoping that others will be able to give themselves that permission without it taking such a devastating health event. We work in high-stress, high accountability environments and it can be difficult to do this. As women we place additional pressures on ourselves on top of the many and varied existing pressures. But I urge you to take five minutes after reading this and think about small, sustainable ways in which you might do so.  

I have had to unpick ideas I held for a long time and re-wire. I now tell myself on repeat that “rest is a valuable use of my time”, that “it is okay to say no” and that “good enough is enough”. I aim to prioritise exercise and sleep, which I know are fundamental to my mental and physical health. This is a work in progress for me as much as anyone else. But we all need to give ourselves the permission to pause when we need it and gain some often much needed perspective on our priorities.

I wish all the shortlisted nominees good luck for the Women in Diversity and Law Awards 2025 and look forward to being there to congratulate them.

Abigail Cohen is a barrister at Henderson Chambers.