Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Breast cancer develops when some cells in the breast don’t work properly. These cells start to grow out of control and form a lump. This is called a tumour. Not all tumours are cancer, but they need to be tested in case they are.

Here's the tricky part: some women have breast cancer and don't notice a single thing. That's exactly why catching it early matters so much. The sooner it's found, the easier it is to treat, and the better your chances of staying strong for yourself, your mob, and your community.

You can have breast cancer without noticing anything. Or you may notice some of the following:

• a lump, lumpiness or thickening, especially in just one breast 

• changes to the skin of the breast – dimpling (like the skin on an orange) 

• changes to the shape or size of the breast 

• changes to the nipple – shape, discharge (ooze), or a nipple that turns in when it used to stick out 

• swelling, or an uncomfortable feeling under the arm or near the collarbone

• constant or unusual pain in the breast or nipple.

If you are a woman over 40, you can have a free breast screen every 2 years. Breast screening can find cancers as small as a grain of rice.

If you would like to yarn about breast cancer, please reach out to the Kambu Health team on (07) 3810 3000. 

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