HCG Cancer Hospitals has launched a nationwide campaign encouraging women to make breast awareness a monthly habit, extending the focus on breast health beyond October, which is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Titled ‘Left Right Kiya Kya?’, the campaign uses the familiar words “left” and “right” as a reminder for women to pay attention to both breasts, recognise unusual changes and seek medical advice when needed.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates, India recorded approximately 237,000 new breast cancer cases and 96,100 deaths in 2024. Breast cancer accounted for about 30% of all new cancer diagnoses among women in the country.
The campaign centres on the question “Left Right Kiya Kya?” and aims to make breast health part of everyday conversations rather than an annual reminder.
Its activities include a music-led, AI-generated film featuring women in everyday settings, as well as an on-ground activation at Nexus Seawoods in Navi Mumbai. The activation featured women dressed in pink performing live music for shoppers, followed by a doctor’s demonstration on recognising breast changes.
The campaign has also been promoted through print, radio, outdoor and digital media, along with flash mobs, metro branding and mall activations. Activities were held at Navratri and Durga Puja pandals in cities including Cuttack, Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Nagpur, Kolkata, Indore and Hubballi. On Meta, the campaign has recorded a reach of 5.6 million, according to HCG.
Manu Sankar Das, chief marketing officer at HCG Cancer Hospitals, said the campaign was developed to address the gap between knowing that breast self-checks matter and making them part of a regular routine.
“Awareness that lasts only through October isn’t enough. It needs to become a reminder that comes back every month,” Das said.
Campaign encourages monthly breast awareness
The campaign encourages women to spend three minutes each month becoming familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel. Its guidance is organised around three actions: looking for changes in breast size, shape or skin; checking for unusual changes around the breasts or nipples; and becoming familiar with how the breasts and underarm areas normally feel.
Dr. Jayanti Thumsi, group lead for robotic breast surgery at HCG Cancer Hospitals, said women sometimes seek medical care only after breast cancer has advanced, including cases in which changes had been noticed but not acted upon.
“Most breast changes are not cancer, but they should never be ignored,” Thumsi said. She advised women to consult a doctor if they notice a lump, unusual nipple discharge or another change, rather than waiting for the next monthly reminder.
Thumsi added that breast awareness does not replace screening and that mammograms should be planned according to age and individual risk.
Through ‘Left Right Kiya Kya?’, HCG is encouraging women to pay attention to breast health throughout the year and seek medical advice when they notice changes.