 Hello, I am Dr. Rupa Anantashivan, Consultant Radiologist at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, with a special interest in breast radiology. October, as you all know, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All over the world, including in India, there is an increase in breast cancer incidents over the last few decades, and that's very unfortunate. But the idea is to pick up this disease as early as possible when it is imminently treatable. So what are the signs of early breast cancer? If you notice a hard lump in your nipple or in your armpit, you notice a change in the texture of the skin over your breasts if it appears red and angry looking and thickened. If you notice any unusual discharge, particularly if it's bloody, or if you notice a change in your nipple, please do visit your doctor immediately. The other thing, a good thing to do would be to visit a registered medical practitioner once in two years or so after the age of 30 for him or her to examine your breasts and look for any unusual changes. If you're above the age of 40, I would also recommend that you have a mammogram Every year, a mammogram is a special x-ray which picks up very small cancers even before they can be palpated or felt by a doctor. And these very small cancers which are less than 1 cm can be treated with a 100% cure rate. This is our mammography unit and mammography is a special x-ray of the breasts which will pick up cancers much earlier than even a well-versed doctor can pick them up. And if you pick up these very small cancers on mammogram, they can be imminently 100% cured. And that's why we encourage all women above the age of 40 to come in on a self-regulate and get a mammogram done every year. So if you're above the age of 40, you can just walk into Manikala Hospital and get a mammogram on your own prescription. There's a lot of misconception about the radiation about the x-rays which mammograms involve. This is very, very minimal compared to the benefit you will get by diagnosing an early breast cancer. It's like having a vehicle in Bangalore. See, the benefits of driving your own car in Bangalore far outweigh the small chance of you having an accident. And that's why you use a car in Bangalore. It's exactly the same. So the benefit of you having a mammogram every year far outweighs whatever disadvantage you will get by the radiation. And about the pain. Actually, it's not painful. It's a bit uncomfortable. But you can avoid this discomfort which is anyway only momentary by coming immediately after your period. So take care of your health, come in and get a mammogram and continue doing so every year for the rest of your life for your own safety and for your health. As women, it's important we take care of our health and be aware of our health because the whole family sometimes depends upon us. So if we notice, if you or we notice any change in our body or in our bodily functions, it's important for us to bring it to the notice of our treating doctor immediately. So my advice to you in October is stay safe and stay healthy.