A locally devised breast health app is attracting national media attention – confirming its early success just days after launching.
My Breast Friend was the brainchild of local breast cancer survivor Gemma Ainger, who launched the app earlier this month with the help of The Pink Ladies Charity, Indulge Media, and Appleby Global Law Firm.
The app is designed to help people take charge of their breast health through simple, regular self-checks.
The free, not-for-profit app has been backed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden MBE who said she wants to help Ms Ainger’s ultimate aim of normalising regular checks to create a lifelong routine.
Ms Ainger was diagnosed with breast cancer at 42 after noticing something unusual in the shower, despite rarely checking herself, feeling healthy and having no family history.
Weeks later, she was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive breast cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes. During surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and in remission, she put the energy that she had into creating something that she felt can make a real difference.
Ms Ainger has said that her cancer was quite advanced, and because she wasn’t checking regularly, she didn’t find it at an earlier stage.
If she had caught it sooner, her treatment could have been less aggressive and her outcome more positive. So she wanted others to have that chance and built My Breast Friend, designed to make monthly self-checks quick, easy, and completely normal, creating positive reinforcement and education around breast health, embedding a really important routine.
“If I’d been paying attention to my chest, I could have caught my breast cancer sooner,” she said. “It was sitting there waiting to be found and I didn’t spot it. I needed to do something that would help lots of people not be like me. Something really positive to come from something so terrible.”
With 1 in 7 women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, studies show that around 40% of breast cancers are detected by women who notice changes during self-exams, highlighting the importance of knowing your normal. My Breast Friend wants to address the alarming statistic that almost half of women in the UK do not check their breasts regularly, and according to Coppafeel UK, 64% of those aged 18-35 do not check their breasts.
Available to download now on the App Store and Google Play, the My Breast Friend app was launched in collaboration with breast cancer survivor Ms Dowden.
From her own diagnosis, she said she knows the importance of early detection of breast cancer and has since been using her public platform to promote this message.
“When Gemma told me about her plans for My Breast Friend it was exactly what I had been looking for – something simple and positive people can do to remind them to check monthly, know their bodies, and act early. I immediately wanted to collaborate with her to make the app the best it can be and reach as many people as possible. I know how vital it is that breast cancer is detected early and if you’re not checking your chest then who is? It doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s no reason not to download this app, it could literally save your life.”
The app has had medical backing already, from a clinical nurse specialist and a Consultant Breast and Oncoplastic Surgeon.
“A great tool for monthly breast checks which is important for the early detection of breast symptoms and management,” said nurse, Gillian. “The My Breast Friend App should be used as regularly as meeting friends for coffee. A stitch in time saves nine”
“Gemma is an inspirational survivor who took her diagnosis under her stride and successfully transformed her challenge into a benefit for other women who are affected by Breast Cancer,” said Consultant Debashis Ghosh.
“It has been my privilege that I have been able to be part of her journey.”
The app was built with medical input from leading breast specialists, legal guidance from Appleby Global Law Firm, and the technical expertise of digital agency, Indulge Media, ensuring that it’s medically responsible, empowering, easy and safe to use.
“I’m so excited to have Amy join me in launching My Breast Friend!” said Ms Ainger.
“Her breast cancer journey is similar to mine, and through first-hand experience coupled with so much enthusiasm and drive for breast health awareness, I truly believe that together, we can make a huge difference. We’re on a mission to make self-checks normal by turning the My Breast Friend reminders into a lifelong routine! A superpower that we all need to have.”
Ms Ainger’s long-term goal is to bring My Breast Friend into schools, universities and workplaces, and to collaborate with health and lifestyle brands that share the same message – early detection saves lives. The app will also use anonymised data to track awareness trends and measure whether more people are checking regularly.
App Information
App: My Breast Friend
Launch: October 2025
Availability: Free to download now on the App Store and Google Play
Website: www.mybreastfriend.health
Instagram: @my_breast_friend_app
