LONDON: October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but the message behind the annual campaign extends far beyond a single month: a breast change that appears small, painless or easy to dismiss can be the first sign of a disease that affects millions of women worldwide.
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally. In 2024, an estimated 2.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 694,000 died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease was the most common cancer among women in 164 of 186 countries that year.
Yet one of the most important facts about breast cancer is also one of the most encouraging: early detection, followed by timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, can save lives.
That makes awareness of possible warning signs more than a campaign message. It can be a practical part of protecting breast health.
A lump is not always painful — and that matters
One of the possible signs of breast cancer is a breast lump or thickening, often without pain.
That does not mean every lump is cancer. In fact, WHO stresses that most breast lumps are not cancerous. But an abnormal lump should still be assessed by a health professional, even when it does not hurt.
Other possible changes include:
- a change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast;
- dimpling, redness, pitting or other changes in the skin;
- a change in the appearance of the nipple or the skin surrounding it;
- abnormal or bloody fluid coming from the nipple.
Breast cancer can present with combinations of these symptoms, particularly as the disease becomes more advanced. But symptoms can vary, and the absence of pain does not rule out cancer.
That is why a new or unusual breast change should not simply be watched indefinitely or dismissed because it is painless.
The risk is not limited to women with a family history
Another misconception can create a dangerous sense of reassurance: believing that breast cancer mainly affects women whose relatives have had the disease.
WHO says most women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a known family history of the disease.
Family history does increase risk, however, and the absence of a known family history does not necessarily mean that a woman is at low risk.
WHO estimates that about 80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no specific risk factors other than sex and age.
Certain inherited genetic mutations can substantially increase risk. Among the best-known high-penetrance genes are BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. Women identified as carrying such mutations, or otherwise considered to be at high risk, may discuss risk-reduction strategies with healthcare professionals.
The wider message is important: knowing your family history is useful, but not having a family history is not a reason to ignore a new breast change.
Breast cancer can occur at any age after puberty
Breast cancer occurs in every country and can affect women at any age after puberty, although rates increase later in life.
Age is therefore an important risk factor, but it is not the only one.
WHO identifies a number of factors associated with increased breast cancer risk, including increasing age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, previous radiation exposure, reproductive history, tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy.
Breast cancer also affects men, although far less frequently. Approximately 0.5% to 1% of breast cancers occur in men, according to WHO.
A new breast lump or other unexplained breast or nipple change therefore warrants medical assessment regardless of whether a person fits the stereotypical picture of someone who develops breast cancer.
Why early detection changes the picture
Breast cancer is not one single disease with one single treatment.
The cancer can begin in cells within the milk ducts or milk-producing lobules. Some cancers remain confined to the breast, while invasive cancers can extend into surrounding tissue and spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
Once cancer has metastasized to distant organs such as the lungs, liver, brain or bones, treatment becomes more complex and the disease can become life-threatening.
The stage at which breast cancer is diagnosed is therefore critically important.
WHO states that breast cancers are more likely to be successfully treated when they are small and have not spread to nearby lymph nodes. Mortality can be reduced when breast cancer is detected and treated early.
Early detection involves two related but distinct approaches.
Early diagnosis means recognizing possible signs and symptoms, seeking medical advice, receiving timely clinical evaluation and diagnosis, and being referred for appropriate treatment.
Screening, by contrast, involves testing people who do not have recognizable symptoms to identify abnormalities before they become clinically apparent.
Mammography is an important screening tool in settings where appropriate screening services are available. WHO notes that mammography may be recommended for women in age groups where screening is appropriate, depending on the healthcare setting and available services.
A global survival gap shows why access matters
Awareness alone, however, cannot solve the breast cancer burden.
A woman may recognize a breast lump quickly, but the outcome can still depend on whether she can obtain a clinical examination, diagnostic testing, pathology services, cancer medicines, surgery, radiotherapy and follow-up care without major delays.
WHO's first global breast cancer survival estimates, published in 2026, highlight how sharply outcomes differ between countries.
For women diagnosed between 2017 and 2021, the global median five-year net survival was estimated at 77.8%. The median was approximately 41.9% in low-income countries, compared with 87.3% in high-income countries.
The difference is not simply about the biology of breast cancer. It reflects the combined effects of stage at diagnosis, access to timely diagnosis, cancer medicines, radiotherapy, mammography capacity and the wider quality and availability of cancer care.
In other words, where a woman lives can influence what happens after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer
Breast cancer treatment is tailored to the individual, the biological characteristics of the cancer and how far it has spread.
Treatment may include:
- surgery, to remove the tumour or, in some circumstances, the entire breast;
- radiotherapy, to destroy residual microscopic cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence;
- hormonal or endocrine therapy, for cancers that express hormone receptors;
- chemotherapy, depending on the cancer subtype and clinical situation;
- targeted biological therapies, for cancers with specific molecular characteristics.
Surgery may involve removal of the tumour while preserving the breast, known as a lumpectomy, or removal of the whole breast, known as a mastectomy.
For invasive breast cancers, lymph nodes may also need assessment. WHO notes that sentinel lymph node biopsy is now preferred in many circumstances over complete removal of the lymph-node bed because it is associated with fewer complications.
Radiotherapy can reduce the risk of recurrence and may help some women avoid mastectomy in appropriate early-stage cases.
Drug treatment is selected according to the biology of the tumour. For example, cancers expressing estrogen or progesterone receptors may respond to endocrine therapies such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors.
Some breast cancers are HER2-positive and may be treated with targeted biological agents such as trastuzumab, generally in combination with chemotherapy when clinically appropriate.
Triple-negative breast cancers, which do not express estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor or HER2, have different treatment considerations and can be more aggressive than some other subtypes.
Completing treatment matters too
Receiving a diagnosis is not the end of the journey.
WHO emphasizes that breast cancer therapies are generally more effective and better tolerated when they are started early and completed as prescribed. Partial treatment can be less likely to produce a positive outcome.
Breast cancer care can also extend well beyond surgery or medication.
A multidisciplinary team may include oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, dietitians or nutritionists, physical therapists, social workers, mental-health professionals, palliative-care specialists and rehabilitation teams.
Such coordinated care can help patients manage treatment, preserve or restore physical functioning and independence, and return to meaningful family, social and community activities.
Patient navigation can also help people move through complicated cancer-care systems, particularly where services are fragmented or resources are limited.
Breast cancer is not only a medical problem — it is an access problem
The global numbers reveal a striking inequality.
In high-income countries, age-standardized breast cancer mortality fell by about 40% between the 1980s and 2020, according to WHO. Countries that have successfully reduced breast cancer mortality have achieved annual reductions of around 2% to 4%.
WHO's 2026 survival estimates reinforce why these improvements have not been shared equally.
The organization estimates that five-year breast cancer survival was about 87.3% in high-income countries but only 41.9% in low-income countries for women diagnosed between 2017 and 2021.
This gap points to a broader lesson: reducing breast cancer deaths does not necessarily require waiting for entirely new treatments.
Health systems can save lives by making proven interventions available — from awareness and early detection to timely diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy, medicines and follow-up care.
Reliable referral pathways from primary care to hospitals and dedicated cancer centres are central to that effort.
What WHO wants the world to achieve
The World Health Organization established the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) in 2021.
Its goal is to help countries reduce breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year, with the ambition of averting 2.5 million breast cancer deaths by 2040.
The initiative is built around three major pillars:
- Health promotion for early detection
- Timely diagnosis
- Comprehensive breast cancer management
The strategy recognizes that the first step can happen long before a patient reaches a cancer centre: people need to know what changes to look for and when to seek medical attention.
That is particularly important in countries where widespread mammography screening may not be practical or accessible.
WHO says public education about breast cancer signs and symptoms can encourage women and their families to seek medical evaluation when cancer is first suspected, allowing diagnosis and treatment to begin before disease becomes advanced.
October's reminder should continue beyond October
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is marked every October, but breast health cannot be seasonal.
The latest global figures are stark: 2.4 million women diagnosed in a single year and 694,000 deaths in 2024. At the same time, the evidence shows that earlier diagnosis and access to effective treatment can make a substantial difference.
The practical message is simple.
A new breast lump should not be ignored because it does not hurt.
A change in breast size, shape or appearance deserves attention.
Skin dimpling, redness, pitting or other unexplained changes should be assessed.
Changes involving the nipple or surrounding skin should not automatically be dismissed.
Abnormal or bloody nipple discharge warrants medical evaluation.
And a woman should not assume that she is protected simply because breast cancer does not run in her family.
Most breast lumps are not cancer. But the only safe way to determine what an unusual breast change means is to have it assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional.
Knowing the possible signs does not mean living in fear of cancer. It means recognizing when something has changed — and not waiting unnecessarily to find out why.
Medical News Pakistan
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026, the message is worth carrying beyond October: know your normal, notice changes, seek medical advice promptly, and remember that early diagnosis and timely treatment can change the course of breast cancer.
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