From today (Monday 21 August) , Morrisons shoppers in the South West will find NHS advice on underwear labels urging them to contact their GP practice if they spot potential symptoms of breast or testicular cancer.

The Nutmeg branded underwear featuring NHS advice will be in 240 Morrisons stores, including South West outlets from Gloucester to Penzance. The labels will first appear in men’s boxer shorts and followed by crop top bras in the coming months.

The NHS guidance will be displayed on the fabric labels alongside the standard sizing and care information. There will also be a QR code on the packaging and tags linking customers through to more detailed information on breast and testicular cancer on the NHS website.

The partnership with Morrisons is part of a campaign to encourage people to check their bodies for symptoms that could be cancer, then should contact their GP as early as possible. That means they can get the all-clear or, in some cases, a cancer diagnosis sooner to give them the best chance of surviving the disease.

Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump or change in the look, shape or feel of one or both breasts, while symptoms of testicular cancer can include painless swelling or a lump in one of the testicles or any change in shape or texture of the testicles.

National figures show that 91% of women survive for at least five years if diagnosed at an early stage of breast cancer, where the tumour is small (stage one), whereas this reduces to 39% where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (stage four).

While nearly all men survive testicular cancer, if the cancer has spread, survival for five years or more can reduce to 65%.

Wayne, 33, from Cornwall, was diagnosed with testicular cancer after he noticed an unusual lump

Wayne, 33, a cancer survivor from Cornwall noticed an unusual lump on his testicle. The next day he made an appointment with his GP and within two weeks was undergoing surgery at Royal Cornwall Hospital.

Three years later, Wayne has the all-clear and with regular checkups he is well on his way to remission.

Wayne said: “Medicine has come such a long way, and the NHS couldn’t have been more helpful.

“My life returned to normal really quickly, and sometimes I forget it happened.

“Getting diagnosed early really can make all the difference, so remember, if something in your body doesn’t feel right, contact your GP.”

Andy Whitehead, 30, from South Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in 2012 – he was just 19 years old.

Andy said the first indication he had that anything could be wrong was when he noticed the size of his right testicle.

He said: “I visited the GP and was then sent for further tests where it came back as stage 4 cancer. It had spread to my lungs and lymph glands.”

Andy Whitehead, 30, from South Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in 2012 – he was just 19 years old.

Andy received treatment and following remission he was given the all clear five years after his diagnosis.

Andy added: “I would say to any young men that they need to check once a month for any different signs so lumps and bumps and would urge them to get checked out asap by the GP. The sooner the better. I left mine late and it had spread.”

He says he is forever grateful for his great network of friends and family, and men’s testicular cancer charity, It’s in the Bag, who supported him through the treatment and his recovery.

Now he is throwing his support behind breaking the stigma men feel about checking their ‘manhood’, encouraging them to talk openly about testicular cancer and help each other through their diagnosis or worries.

More people than ever before are being seen and treated by the NHS for cancer – in the last year the number of people receiving lifesaving checks for cancer hit nearly three million (2.92m) – more than any other year on record.

Thanks to extensive NHS campaigns and early diagnosis initiatives, a higher proportion of cancers than ever before were diagnosed at an early stage in the year 2022-2023 – 58% of cancers diagnosed at stage one or two compared to 56% before the pandemic.

Vinay Takwale, NHS England’s South West Medical Director, said: “Survival for both breast and testicular cancers has improved significantly over the last 50 years and we’re seeing more people than ever before diagnosed at an early stage, increasing their chances of recovery.

“It’s great to have a store like Morrisons on board for this important campaign, supporting the call for everyone to be aware of their own bodies.

“Please look out for lumps and bumps or anything else that is unusual for you and get checked out early – it could save your life.”

The NHS is harnessing the very latest technology and initiatives such as community lung health checks and trials of a blood test that can detect up to 50 cancers before symptoms appear, to diagnose cancer earlier and achieve its goal of diagnosing three quarters of all cancers at stage one or two by 2028.

The NHS is also accelerating the use of innovations like teledermatology for diagnosing skin cancer, which is already seeing some areas double the number of patients seen and speeding up diagnosis and treatment for tens of thousands with skin cancer.