At some point in her life, one in eight western women will develop breast cancer. It starts with a tiny lump, no bigger than a pinhead. Finding that lump before it spreads is a race against time. Every year, hundreds of thousands of women around the world lose the race. And yet, despite the enormous harvest of grief, there are reasons for optimism.

Just as technology is used to catch felons in the ‘outside world’, it is also harnessed to seek and eliminate ’bad guys’ within our bodies. That’s why breast screening—based on the latest science and human ingenuity can offer—is easily the most effective method for discovering tumors at an early stage. At Sandberg Trygg, we are proud to work with one of the leaders in the field, Linköping-based Sectra.

But science, however advanced, is only the second line of defence. The first one can be found in the nearest mirror. Regular breast self-examination is a vital part of staying healthy once you have reached a certain age. Download Sectra’s guide to effective self-examination here. (Or send the link to someone you know.) If you want to know more about breast cancer in general, this is a good place to start: www.breastcancer.org.