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Visual aids help with breast cancer checks

The Canadian Cancer Society has come up with a powerful visual aid to help women understand the importance of mammograms.

Enter the Thingamaboob.

The purple and pink key chain is made of beads of different sizes which show the size of a lump a self check will find compared to the size regular mammograms will.

The difference in size is astounding.

“Some people thought it was a bit perverted,” said Tiffany Auvinen, the coordinator of marketing and communications for the Vancouver Island Region of the cancer society. 

But she said the key chain is a great way to start a conversation.

“Especially for young women who don’t think about having their breasts checked.”

Thingamaboobs are available at Canadian Cancer Society units on the Island and have a suggested donation of $10.

One-in-nine Canadian women is expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime. But according to the cancer society, more women than ever are surviving because of early detection. 

The Canadian Cancer Society says for women 50 and older, getting a mammogram and clinical breast examination every two years are the most reliable methods of finding breast cancer. 

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