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9/11/2007
Dear Sirs,
It has recently been brought to our attention that you have posted ‘concerns’ about the Breast Sense Glove, Lloyds Pharmacy and The Genesis Appeal on your website.
Whilst we cannot respond on behalf of Lloyds Pharmacy or The Genesis Appeal, as manufacturer of the Breast Sense Pack we do feel the need to correct what we consider to be both misleading and alarmist remarks made by your organisation.
You are correct that there is no clinical research data, how can there be? – self examination is a subjective test and we all have a different sensation of touch, just as we do with our other four major senses. However there is research data that concludes ‘that the sense of touch is enhanced, rather than diminished, when two layers of a pliable, elastic material with little friction between them (enhanced by the introduction of a coloured mineral oil) are placed between the fingertips and the object being touched. (See USA Patent No 4.793.354 dated December 27th 1988).
A practical test for this discovery using the Breast Sense Glove is to place either a hair from one’s head or some grains of salt on a surface, and feel them with and without the glove. Anecdotal - certainly - as with the majority of major discoveries.
The sense of touch is enhanced by maintaining the coefficient of kinetic friction between the two layers at less than the coefficient between the fingertips and the top layer and less than the coefficient between the object being touched and the bottom layer. Within the Breast Sense Glove, independent laboratory tests have shown this kinetic coefficient to be reduced by nearly 50% for the Breast Sense Glove, greatly enhancing the normal sense of touch.
Similarily, you do not make any reference to the educational DVD or clear instructions that come with the pack – why not? Do you feel it is your organisation’s responsibility just to look for potential negatives (not that there are any with Breast Sense), rather than highlight the fantastic Awareness programme being presented by Lloyds Pharmacy. You will recall that in the ‘Boob Survey’ of 2005 47% of women were not Breast Aware or knew how to carry out a self examination, so again both Lloyds Pharmacy and The Genesis Appeal are to be congratulated for their fantastic efforts to bring the matter to a far wider audience.
As a member of a family who has been affected by Breast Cancer, I wish the Lloyds Pharmacy highly visible pro-active programme had been commenced 3 years earlier. Like most families we waited until there was a problem, before we consulted a cancer organisation or GP.
The Breast Sense instructions clearly (see illustrations) tell the user to use both the bare hand and the glove – why? Because, as we have stated earlier, self examination is a ‘subjective test’ that forms part of breast awareness and any aid that promotes breast awareness (of which self examination is an integral part) and that may help detect any irregularity early (and thus improve the chances of successful treatment) is a service to all women.
As a ‘Breast Care’ organisation, you should know that a full proper self examination, forming part of ‘Breast Awareness’, should be carried out in part standing and in part lying down, and whilst bath lotion does go part of the way to reducing friction between fingertips and skin, the object of a self examination is not to ‘slide’ fingers over the breasts, but to feel deep into the breast tissue and surrounding area for irregularities – does a bottle of lotion tell you this?
The Breast Sense instruction booklet and DVD incorporate the ‘breast awareness 5 point code’ – it is the very basis of our instructions, both written and within the DVD.
Did you look at Steps 1 and 2 in the instructions (no mention of lumps) or listen to the DVD? It is spelt out and shown that it is not only lumps that must be looked for, but any irregularity.
Yes, the product does encourage a regular ‘once a month’ approach – why?- so that Breast Awareness including self examination becomes habit forming to ensure as much as possible that there is early detection, which all recognised cancer authorities advocate, and which eventually save lives.
Contrary to your ‘concern’ the instruction booklet and DVD make highlighted reference to those women who are post-menopausal, have irregular periods or are older.
Please pass your ‘high number of questions and confusions’ directly to us, which we will vigorously and willingly answer individually.
I reiterate The Genesis Appeal and Lloyds Pharmacy are to be congratulated on their great campaign to bring to the attention of millions of women the importance of Breast Awareness in the fight against this dreadful disease, and it is so disappointing and frustrating to read your statements without you recording the full facts. What is your ‘clinical’ or other proof that breast self examination is not helpful?
People are entitled and indeed expect from responsible organisations and manufacturers the full facts and not only those that may appear to have an indirect vested interest.
For your further information we, like The Genesis Appeal, are particularly concerned with preventative research and as such independently donate to the Imperial College London Cancer Research Fund through all UK packs sold.
We feel no satisfaction in writing this response to what we consider your alarmist and incomplete ‘concerns’, but wish to endorse the pro-active action of all parties in the fight against breast cancer.
Yours faithfully,
David Williams
Managing Director
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