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Woman Gets Breast Exam on Live TV with No Cover-Up or Blurring: 'Early Detection Saves Lives'

"Seeing it on a live person shows how easy it is to check yourself and makes it relatable to those who may have felt they would not be affected by breast cancer," said model Leanne Abu

This Morning/Twitter
This Morning/Twitter

A woman got a breast exam on live TV with full exposure — no cover-up or blurring.

Aired earlier this week on the British daytime talk show This Morning, Dr. Sara Kayat performed the exam on model Leanne Adu, during which Adu's breasts were on full display.

Co-host Holly Willoughby introduced the segment by saying, "Your first line of defense is knowing your own breasts and checking them yourself."

In the segment, after Adu walks onstage to begin the demonstration, she opens up the robe she is wearing, and Dr. Kayat explains how to perform a breast self-exam: "Part of the examination for breasts is looking and feeling."

She then discusses how to look for changes in the breasts by examining them from the front and sides; as well as feeling for lumps, adding that "knowing your normal is the first point."

Related:Samantha Harris Says She Is 'Healthier Than Ever' After Surviving Breast Cancer (Exclusive)

The National Library of Medicine recommends that women perform a monthly breast self-exam three to five days after the start of their menstrual cycle.

Adu told Yahoo Life, "Seeing how a breast exam looks on a real person is so important. So many of us are not taught how to examine ourselves and look for changes or the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Seeing it on a live person shows how easy it is to check yourself and makes it relatable to those who may have felt they would not be affected by breast cancer."

The model — who finished treatment for her 2020 diagnosis of stage 3, grade 3, triple-negative breast cancer at age 35 — told the outlet, "The cancer had already spread to my lymph nodes, but knowing my body and breasts meant I found it before it spread further. So when I saw the call for someone to participate in a live breast exam, I instantly put myself forward because I know firsthand how critical early detection is to survival rates."

Adu wrote about her experiencing modeling for a live breast exam on Instagram: "When I said yes to having a live breast exam, topless on @thismorning, I don't think I really thought through the enormity of what i was doing."

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The model then referenced her bra size in the caption, which This Morning co-presenter Alison Hammond commented on during the segment: "I'm so glad you've used someone with larger breasts." Dr. Kayat responded, "It's so important that everyone is included."

Adu told Yahoo Life that it's "essential" for people to "see different bodies and what a breast exam looks like on those bodies."

"Going viral on a Monday morning was not the outcome I expected, but having 100s of people telling me they now felt confident to check themselves was the outcome I wanted," Adu wrote on Instagram.

"The video has been seen millions of times on Twitter, which means potentially millions of people learning a little bit more about their bodies," she continued. "Early detection saves lives and that's a fact."

Related:Katie Couric Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnoses as She Urges Others to Get Annual Mammograms

Adu told Yahoo Life that the response to the segment has been "overwhelmingly positive" and "to hear so many people will be checking their breasts and chests makes me so happy."

"Breasts are normal, breasts are not just for sexual pleasure. Breasts should not be taboo and knowing your boobs can save your life," her caption continued.

She concluded, "It's an absolute privilege and blessing that I am still here to have done this. And I'd do again tomorrow if it meant more people have a chance to save their own lives."

Adu wrote in a separate post of a clip from the segment, "They're just breasts, and the impact this video has had means that I want as many people to see it as possible. Let's hope Instagram allows it to stay up."

"Checking your body regularly means you are in a better position to understand if things change for you," she continued. "I did not regularly check my breasts when I found my lump, but I knew what my normal was. I rolled over in bed, gave myself a hug and then felt a lump. I sat on it for a couple of days and then got myself to the doctors."

She added, "I hope this video reaches as many people as possible. Anyone can get breast cancer, so everyone should be checking. Set yourself an alarm to do it once a month. Don't panic and feel you should do it every day. Just be body aware."

"The more you know, the better you'll do! Put yourself first," Adu wrote.

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