MUST READ: Men get breast cancer too

Many of us think of women whenever they hear of the word "breast cancer". That is false. Breast cancer affects men too. Men have got breasts, although not well adapted to its functions like that of a woman. The hormone estrogen, though also present in men but in a low amount, is the one that directs the growing of female breast. But when it comes to medical matters, both men and women have breasts. 

Worldwide, it is estimated that about 1% of men suffer from breast cancer. This data mainly refer to the western countries. But in East Africa, a study conducted put males having breast cancer at about 8%. Why? There are a lot of factors that contribute to one having breast cancer, be it a man or a woman. They include:

Exposure to high amount of estrogen for a long time, for example early menstruation and late menopause for women, failure to breastfeed, having children at above the age of 30 years, using of contraceptives be it oral of the injectables and many more. Obesity a excess fat in the body is converted to estrogen. Family history of breast cancer. Low immunity state like HIV infection in Sub Saharan Africa. 

It is therefore evident that most men are becoming obese due to sedentary lifestyle. The high HIV burden in Sub Saharan Africa also make men more prone to getting breast cancer. Signs of breast cancer in men are similar to that in women. They include:

A breast lump most of the time painless but can be painful. Nipple discharge. Inversion of the nipple. Discoloration of the nipple area assuming an orange like color. Swollen breast. Presence of lumps of nodes around the neck and armpit. 

Men should also take the opportunity of going for screening like the women do. The outcome of breast cancer in males is bad compared to female because of the low fat pad that would usually delay the spread of cancer to other body parts.