Apollo Women Cancer Centre turns chocolates into life-saving health reminders with ‘Check-Olate’

New Delhi: This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Apollo Women Cancer Centre (ACCs) has launched a unique initiative ‘Check-Olate’ — a bar of dark chocolate carrying a powerful message: Take a moment for yourself. By blending indulgence with awareness, this campaign aims to encourage women to prioritise self-care and make breast self-examination a monthly ritual.

Apollo’s Check-Olate turns a simple chocolate into a heartfelt reminder for women to pause, care for themselves, and embrace the power of early breast cancer detection that can save lives.

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer cases and deaths among Indian women, accounting for 13.5% of new cases and 10.6% of cancer deaths (GLOBOCAN).

Yet, only 1.6% of women aged 30-69 in India have ever undergone screening (NCBI). The urgent need for awareness and early detection propelled Apollo to turn a familiar treat into a gentle health reminder.

Dr Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, said in a release, “When women are healthy, nations prosper. Every woman’s well-being strengthens families, communities, and economies.

The ‘Check-Olate’ initiative is a purposeful step to advance early detection, empowering women that self-care is not a privilege but a power. It fuels a healthier and more prosperous India.”

Each dark chocolate bar features a QR code, which, when scanned, opens an animated video demonstrating a step-by-step breast self-examination guide, making education accessible and engaging.

Dr. Geeta Kadayaprath, Lead – Breast Surgical Oncology, Apollo Athena Women Cancer Centre, Delhi, emphasised the life-saving importance of early detection: “Breast cancer early detection saves lives.

Breast self-examination helps women familiarise themselves with their bodies and catch abnormalities early. ‘Check-Olate’ turns a small moment of indulgence into a reminder for self-care. Dark chocolate is good for the heart and comforting, making this initiative both meaningful and approachable.”

Similarly, Dr Mrs. Ramesh Sarin, Senior Consultant - Surgical Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, added, “Breast cancer awareness starts with understanding that early detection saves lives.

Simple self-examinations can mean the difference between early cure and late diagnosis. ‘Check-Olate’ bridges compassion with awareness, using comforting chocolate to remind women that self-care is strength and self-respect.”

Dr Jyoti Wadhwa, Lead, Medical & Precision Oncology, Apollo Hospital, said, "Breast cancer is a unique journey for every woman, and each journey is different. Thanks to advanced scientific treatments today, we can perform genomic profiling of tumour tissues.

This allows personalised treatment tailored to each woman’s specific condition, ensuring the best possible outcomes."

Jaya Jaitly, the veteran politician, activist and founder president of Dastakari Haat Samiti, said that women should not see themselves just as helpers. They must first prioritise their own health to truly empower themselves. Real women's empowerment begins with safeguarding oneself.

Beyond symbolism, dark chocolate itself carries health benefits. Rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, it supports heart health, reduces inflammation, and uplifts mood (NCBI). Thus, ‘Check-Olate’ is not just a treat for taste buds but a comforting messenger reminding women to nurture their health.

This campaign marks more than a Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative — it’s a movement to inspire women to reclaim control of their well-being through small but meaningful rituals.

By turning indulgence into awareness, Apollo Cancer Centre creatively connects with women, spreading empathy, hope, and empowerment.

The initiative shows how healthcare communication can be thoughtful, creative, and impactful — encouraging women to take that sweet pause that could save their lives.