Your article (Almost half of British women do not self-examine for breast cancer, 26 October) implies that women are doing themselves a disservice. It is widely accepted by authoritative sources such as the World Health Organization and the Cochrane Collaboration that regular self-examination does not prolong lives. Perhaps your headline should have read: “Over half of British women persist with breast self-examination despite no evidence of benefit.”
Dr Sarah Wookey
Oxford
• The YouGov poll on populism included the statement “the power of a few special interests prevents our country from making progress” (European support for populist beliefs falls, YouGov survey suggests, 26 October). Why should agreement with this statement imply populist tendencies? It is compatible with traditions like socialism and leftwing elite theory, neither of which is populist.
Michael Cunningham
Wolverhampton
• I don’t mean to spark off your marmalade correspondence, but those of us who use bergamot in ours will not have recognised the description in the 23 across clue (Quick crossword, 26 October) of it being a fruit resembling a pear. It is round like an orange.
Aviva Le Prevost
Groombridge, East Sussex
• No child will go hungry at Christmas, says Boris Johnson (Report, 26 October). A child is for life, not just for Christmas.
Audrey Butler
Gatley, Greater Manchester
• Which half of the population considered period products to be “non-essential” (Wales lockdown confusion after Tesco tweet claims it cannot sell period products, 26 October)?
Pam Lunn
Kenilworth, Warwickshire
