Movember: Men’s Health Awareness Month

Male Breast Cancer: A Potentially Invasive Threat

We recently concluded the Pink October initiative, aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer. Although the campaign was at its height in October, we extend it into Movember, a month dedicated to advocating for men's health.

Throughout the years, efforts have primarily revolved around generating awareness regarding prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.

As Movember primarily centres on the broader realm of men's health, encompassing various concerns beyond those specifically mentioned above, we are redirecting our focus towards an underrepresented issue: male breast cancer.

Having widely raised awareness about the importance of regular breast cancer symptom checks for women, it is now imperative that we extend the dissemination of this vital information to men. Numerous medical studies, however, have demonstrated that men often exhibit reluctance in seeking routine medical checkups.

Professor Shingai Mutambirwa, Head of the Urology Department at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, says that men simply don’t take their health and preventative screening tests as seriously as women.

He adds that up to 80% of males will wait for medical symptoms to become advanced before having them checked out, thereby leading to late diagnosis. In cancer cases, that means having to deal with the condition whilst the cancer has probably spread to other areas of the body, minimising chances of recovery.

While breast cancer is often wrongly associated with femininity, it's important to dispel the notion that it's exclusively a "women's disease." According to the Mayo Clinic, every individual is born with some breast tissue and can be at risk of developing cancer.

Scientific studies state that male breast cancer accounts for 1-3% of all breast cancers and men are reported to carry higher mortality by 25% than women do, primarily because awareness among men is less and they are less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer.

Men can adopt healthy habits that can enhance the reduction of the risk of developing breast cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of developing obesity, a factor conducive to the thriving of cancer cells in both men and women.

Moreover, eating fruits and vegetables daily has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer. However, this should be accompanied by staying physically active. Studies prove that moving your body for at least 20 minutes every day reduces your risk of developing breast cancer.

Symptoms of male breast cancer may include a painless lump in the breast; thickening, scaling or redness around the nipple, or nipple discharge. You may also be at increased risk of developing male breast cancer if you have a family history of breast cancer.

Advanced age is associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer in men, particularly those aged between 60 and 70 who are more frequently diagnosed. However, it's crucial to emphasize that younger males should not delay breast cancer screening. Detecting the condition at an earlier stage significantly enhances the prospects of successful recovery.

Having always shown our commitment to the fight against cancer, we continue to dedicate our time and communication platforms to raising awareness about cancer and other men's health-related concerns, particularly mental health issues. In this effort, we place a heightened focus on the often-overlooked male breast cancer, which silently exists. We aim to urge men to conduct self-examinations and extend support to one another. Additionally, we also aim to underline the significance of ongoing research to enhance treatments for all individuals affected by breast cancer.