A new study claims many women are unaware of breast cancer symptoms and do not see their doctors after noticing changes.

The findings come on the 10th annual Breast Cancer Day, which is aimed at raising awareness about the disease.

Dr Helen Zorbas of the National Breast Cancer Centre says deaths from the disease are in decline, but early detection is important to ensure high survival rates.

“We don’t have a way of preventing breast cancer, so early detection in the best means we have of saving lives and we know that if breast cancer is found early we really can give women a very high level of assurance of living a long and healthy life and not dying from the disease,” she said.