SHOPPERS at some Morrisons stores will now 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 will be in the Hyde, Denton and Oldham stores, as well as six others across Greater Manchester.
The labels will first appear in boxer shorts, 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.
If people notice symptoms that could be cancer, they should contact their GP and come forward for checks as early as possible, so they can get the all-clear or, in some cases, a cancer diagnosis sooner to give them the best chance of survival.
National figures show 91 per cent 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 per cent where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (stage four).
While nearly all men survive testicular cancer, survival for five years or more can reduce to 65 per cent if the cancer has spread.
NHS England’s National Director for Cancer, Dame Cally Palmer, said: “This is the first time the whole of the NHS has worked with a national supermarket brand to put health messaging on clothing.
“It’s with the aim of encouraging thousands more people to be body aware, so they can spot new or unexplained changes that might be cancer symptoms early, and contact their GP practice for checks if concerned.”
David Scott, Corporate Affairs Director at Morrisons, said: “We are proud to be leading the way in offering NHS England a new route to reach customers with important messages about body awareness and the symptoms of breast and testicular cancer.
“The new care labels on our crop top bras and boxers urge people to get to know their bodies so that they can more easily notice changes and to contact their GP practice sooner if something doesn’t feel right.”