On June 25, the Race for Life will be held to raise money for research into women's cancers.

But many women are still unaware of key breast care issues. Rachel Palmer looks at some of the messages the race hopes to convey.

Latest statistics show two out of every 11 women will be affected by breast cancer at some stage in their lives. The figure is a stark reminder to women who think the disease could never happen to them. The Imperial Cancer Research Fund has organised the Race For Life to remind women vital funds are needed to help treat a condition which could happen to any of us.

Barbara Watson, Imperial Cancers Patron of Hope for the South East,said: "It is so important to support the Race for Life, which is working towards better treatments and more hope for people like me for the future.

"When I found out I had cancer, I was devastated. After a while, I decided that I had to get on with life and deal with the cancer day by day. I knew the doctors were doing everything they could for me. I now know that there are few things in life I could not face."

Breast cancer occurs when something goes wrong inside a cell in the breast and the cell starts to multiply in an uncontrolled way. While many women fear they will develop cancer if their mothers or grandmothers had the disease, Imperial Cancer says at most five per cent of breast cancers may have an hereditary link.

A good way to detect breast lumps is to regularly check your breasts through a self-examination. The main benefit of checking your breasts regularly is to detect anything unusual at an early stage. During a self-exam, look for lumps or swelling in your breast or armpit, changes in the shape or size of a breast, any unusual discharge or bleeding from the nipple, a rash on or around the nipple, a change in the position of the nipple, moist reddish areas which do not heal, an orange-peel effect to the skin, swelling of the arm and pain in your breast which is new.

Most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancer) but any changes should be checked with your doctor as soon as possible. It is also important to back-up self-examinations with regular breast screening, depending on your age, and visits to your GP if you have any concerns. If you are still worried ask to be referred to a specialist.

One out of 2,500 women under the age of 30 will be affected by breast cancer. The Race For Life is a nationwide series of 61 five km fund-raising walks and runs exclusively for women. So far, 1,344 women from East and West Sussex have signed up to take part. Last summer more than 1,500 women of all ages took part in the event at Preston Park in Brighton, raising a record £58,000.

Even if you have been indulging by watching lots of TV and eating junk food, there is still time to get into shape for the Race For Life. There are now two weeks left until you have to make your way around Stanmer Park in all your track-suited glory on June 25. I am training for the race myself and I cant exactly say I have been a model athlete. I managed only five minutes of running in the rain the other night before EastEnders and the warmth of my lounge room tempted me back inside.

Still, it was an improvement on the previous week when I ran to the top of my street and around the corner before I had to retire hurt with a stitch. But Im determined to get there! Imperial Cancer has these tips for women who have left their Race For Life training preparation to the last minute.

During this next week and next, choose three times when you are free to train. During the first training session of the first week, run for a minute and walk for a minute, repeating the process ten times; during the second training session, run for two minutes and walk for one minute, repeating the process eight times; and on the third session, run for four minutes and walk for two minutes, repeating five times.

During the first training session of the second week, run for six minutes and walk for two minutes, repeating four times; then during the second training session, run for ten minutes and walk for two minutes, repeating three times; and for the third session, run the full five kilometers.

Remember to warm up properly and take things easy if you have not exercised for a while. Dont worry if you can't run the whole race. Many women will be walking the course. The important thing is to have fun - and try to make a difference!

Race For Life entry forms can be found at the Argus head office, in Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury, or you can telephone 08705 134314.