Fylde coast woman poses topless in new Asda Tickled Pink campaign

The Asda Tickled Pink campaign runs throughout October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, encouraging people to check their boobs, pecs and chests and encouraging everyone to be breast aware.

It aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer charities Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!

As part of the campaign a group called ‘the Real Self-Checkers’ have posed topless in new images that will be displayed in Asda stores.

There are seven Real Self-Checkers, all of whom have breast cancer experiences and have shared both their story and images to be displayed in-store, to be seen by millions of Asda shoppers.

One of the Real Self-Checkers is Esther Parkinson, from St Annes, who is living with secondary breast cancer.

Esther, 48, who is supported by her family and long-term partner Dave, said: “After I was diagnosed in 2013, I had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a lumpectomy.

"In 2014 having gone through all my treatment the year before, I had my mastectomy.

"It was a difficult and confusing time and there were lots of options, so it can be hard to know what’s right for you.

“I contacted Breast Cancer Now and used their forum to get advice on whether to have a reconstruction.

"After much deliberation and conversations with supportive ladies who had been in similar situations, I decided not to go ahead with reconstruction.”

Esther, who recently took ill health retirement from Blackpool Council where she worked in administration support for 28 years, used Breast Cancer Now’s ‘Someone Like Me’ service, which matches people with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience.

Sadly, Esther received her secondary breast cancer diagnosis in 2021.

She added: “Secondary breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer, is when cancer spreads from a primary site to a secondary site and it is treatable, but it is incurable.

“Speaking to other people like me helped me come to terms with my diagnosis, which is why I wanted to share my story too.

“I decided to share online pictures of myself and my mastectomy scar to raise awareness and encourage everyone to check themselves. I hope that by being open and sharing these images we can make cancer a topic that people aren’t afraid to talk about.

“I want to encourage everyone to check their breasts regularly so you know your normal and can spot anything unusual. It might be a change like dimpling of skin, discharge from your nipple, lumps or bumps, but just being breast aware helps you to spot anything you haven’t seen before.”

According to Tickled Pink, because Asda stores are not traditional health settings, seeing the Real Self-Checkers images in store acts not only as a visual reminder to encourage everyone to regularly check themselves, but the images also have the aim of breaking taboos around breast cancer.

Manveet Basra, head of public health and wellbeing at Breast Cancer Now, said: “It’s so important to be breast aware and get to know ‘your normal’.

“While most breast changes are not cancer, it’s important to get any changes checked. The sooner it is diagnosed, the better the chances of treatment being successful.”