Know your breasts: Early detection can prolong lives

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, serving as an important reminder that knowing what is normal for your body, and acting when something changes, can make a difference.

The World Health Organization’s theme for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 is “Every story is unique, every journey matters.” The campaign highlights the need for greater awareness, timely diagnosis, quality care and equal access to breast health services, regardless of where a person lives.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women globally. According to the WHO, an estimated 2,4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, while 694 000 died from the disease. Around 8,2 million women were living with breast cancer at the end of that year.

In South Africa, breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women across all population groups, with a lifetime risk of one in 28, according to the National Cancer Registry 2024. Yet for many South Africans, particularly those living in rural or underserved communities, access to breast health services and cancer screening is not always within easy reach.

Through its mobile health services, PinkDrive takes cancer screening, breast health education and clinical breast examinations directly to communities, with medically uninsured people and those living in rural, township and semi-urban areas among its primary beneficiaries.

PinkDrive encourages people to perform a breast self-examination once a month and to become familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel. Regular clinical breast examinations by a medical professional are also recommended.

The WHO similarly encourages women of all ages to be aware of breast changes and seek medical advice if something seems unusual. Possible warning signs include a lump or thickening, changes in the size or shape of the breast, changes to the skin or nipple and abnormal or bloody nipple discharge.

Finding a change does not necessarily mean that it is cancer, but it is important to have anything unusual assessed by a healthcare professional.

For those who are eligible, appropriate screening such as mammography can also play an important role in detecting breast cancer earlier. PinkDrive provides mammograms as a selected screening service, primarily to women over 40, as well as to those referred by a doctor.

PinkDrive believes that access to potentially life-saving breast health information and screening should not be determined by where a person lives or what they can afford.

This echoes one of the WHO’s key messages for Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 – where a person lives should not determine whether they survive breast cancer. Significant inequalities in access to early detection, diagnosis and treatment remain between countries and communities.

As a non-profit organisation, PinkDrive relies on corporate partners, organisations, donors and individuals to help take its services into communities where access to healthcare may otherwise be limited. Support also goes beyond funding a medical test. It helps provide education, creates access to healthcare services and gives people an opportunity to recognise possible warning signs sooner.
PinkDrive describes its mission as “bridging the gap in healthcare through education, screening and early detection.”
PinkDrive’s message this October is clear:
Know your breasts. Check once a month. Don’t ignore changes. Get screened. Get informed. Take action. More information about PinkDrive, its services and ways to support its work is available at pinkdrive.org.

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