Even men stand the risk of breast cancer
For two months, 55-year-old Adan Mohammed had seen a hard lump in his left breast, but didn’t pay attention to it as he thought it was just an ordinary swelling.
However, it grew larger and that’s when it caught his attention that something could be wrong.
“A sudden fear came upon me as I had always read that swellings could indicate cancer or a tumour. I had to go to the hospital to be checked,” he narrates.
Upon reaching Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, tests were conducted on his tissue samples and he was diagnosed this year with breast cancer.
“I was shocked as I never knew that a man could get breast cancer. I stood there looking at the doctor speechless, wondering what I was going to tell my family,” he says
While it’s mostly linked to women, breast cancer also affects men. Both men and women are born with some breast cells and tissues and despite the fact that men do not develop milk-producing breasts, they still are at risk of getting the cancer.
According to Globocan report 2018, in Kenya, less than one per cent of all breast cancer cases develop in men, and approximately 1,000 men will ever be diagnosed.
Additionally, out of 100 breast cancer patients who will walk into a hospital, one will be male.
It is unknown why it affects men, but Dr Sitna Mwanzi (pictured), an oncologist at Aga Khan Hospital and chair of Kenya Society of Haematology and Oncology, says the risk of getting it might increase due to factors such as genes and family history, previous radiotherapy in the chest region and certain conditions such as cirrhosis (liver disease) and obesity.
“Conditions such as obesity result in excess of oestrogen, which in turn leads to the creation of more breast tissues that makes some cells abnormal. This is what results in breast cancer even in men.
Both men and women should watch out for symptoms that could indicate cancer such as having a hard lump on the breast” observes Dr Mwanzi.
Some signs include a painless lump underneath nipples or areola, changes to the nipple such as turning to a reddish colour or scaling and also having a blood stained discharge.
There can also be changes to the skin covering your breast, which may turn red, or have wrinkles or scaling and a change in the size and shape of one or both of the breasts.
Research indicates out of all the men who have breast cancer, majority have cases of Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma (IDC). This means that the cells which are in or around the duct will start invading surrounding tissue. Rarely will a man be diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer or Paget Disease (a disease that interferes with the replacement of old bone tissue with new bone tissue).
“In advanced stages, the patient may have lung or abdominal problems or bone pain if the cancer has spread to the lungs, liver or bone,” notes Dr Mwanzi. Contrary to popular belief, men can develop breast cancer, whether they are young or old with the peak age being 80.
Mohammed was lucky that the detection was early and was seen by a surgeon who proceeded to do a mastectomy and removal of nodes in his armpit. After his healing from surgery, he had chemotherapy and coupled it up with radiotherapy.
“Telling my family about this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. In my culture, I am supposed to be the strong one and endure pain all by myself, but they had a right to know. They supported me all through the surgery and the chemotherapy. I am now getting better,” he explains.
In total, Mohammed spent approximately Sh100,000 at diagnosis stage, Sh300,000 for surgery, Sh400,000 for chemotherapy and Sh350,000 for radiotherapy. In total, he spent about Sh1.15 million.
Most men are embarrassed to see a doctor; they also dismiss changes in their breasts, which leads to late diagnosis.
“This is why more men than women die, as they have not been sensitised about it.
“Many think the disease is just for women. The shame in seeking treatment, late diagnosis, low income as well as fear of being discovered is what results in the high death rates,” says Dr Mwanzi.
The main treatments for breast cancer include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy and she urges men just like women, to examine their breasts regularly.
“There are no specific prevention measures for breast cancer in men, but promotion of healthy diet, physical activity, reduce alcohol use, and stop smoking helps,” she concludes .
