[ad_1]
Moses Musonga says the treatment can be extremely painful
Moses Musonga never thought that men could contract breast cancer until the disease was diagnosed.
The 67-year-old Kenyan told the BBC that he was deeply shocked when doctors told him in 2013 that he was suffering from stage 3 breast cancer, upsetting his life .
"I was in denial and wondering why such an illness, which is not male-dominated, had distinguished me among millions of men around the world," he said. Mr. Musonga.
It all started with a painless mass in her right nipple that got bigger with time. Then came the nipple discharge and occasional chest pain.
The doctors continued to give Mr. Musonga, a father of five, painkillers to treat a problem that worried them.
And despite the fact that her breasts were exceptionally larger than most men's, Mr. Musonga never thought it was a concern.
He sought the help of a doctor when the skin of his right breast began to ulcerate.
Multimedia playback is not supported on your device
Tests on a tissue sample confirmed that Mr. Musonga had breast cancer.
"I did not know that breast cancer was affecting men, so I did not notice that what touched me was breast cancer," he said.
Dr. Sitna Mwanzi, consulting oncologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital in the capital, Nairobi, said that breast cancer in humans was not very common.
Her experience has shown that for every 100 breast cancer patients, one will be a man.
Why do men have breast cancer?
Copyright of the image
Getty Images
The exact cause is unknown, but the risk of getting it increases due to:
- Genes and family history, including inheritance of defective versions of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes
- Conditions that can increase the level of estrogen in the body, including obesity, Klinefelter syndrome and liver scarring (cirrhosis)
- Anterior radiotherapy to the thorax
There is no guarantee that you can do anything to reduce your risk, but it could help you if:
- Lose weight if you are overweight
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol
Source: National Health Service of the United Kingdom
About 6,000 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Kenya this year, accounting for 12.5% of all cancers in the country, according to Globocan 2008, part of the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Organization. of health.
Over the whole of Africa, they are expecting about 170,000 cases.
Dr. Mwanzi said that women are at higher risk for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they naturally have more estrogens than men.
"When you have an excess of estrogen, it stimulates the formation of more breast tissue and, with that, some cells can become abnormal and lead to breast cancer," she said.
Dr. Mwanzi says that the chances of breast cancer in humans are extremely rare
Dr. Mwanzi added that men and women should carefully monitor symptoms, especially breast size.
Other symptoms include changes in the skin on the breast and nipple, blood loss to the nipple and a change in the shape or size of one or both breasts.
Cancer also causes weight loss, she added.
Dr. Mwanzi said the main breast cancer treatments were radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and hormone therapy.
"Men should regularly check their breasts to make sure they do not have lumps, they should control themselves very often," she added.
You may also be interested in:
- Breast Cancer Screening "More Harmful Than Good"
- Patients with end-stage breast cancer
Musonga said the treatment of breast cancer, especially if the disease is advanced, is extremely painful.
"The hair on my head was not shaved but was removed by chemicals.
"I can not walk long and struggle daily with fatigue, nausea and vomiting," he said.
& # 39; No discrimination & # 39;
The 67-year-old had to drop out of college after starting chemotherapy sessions that led to a loss of breath.
Copyright of the image
Getty Images
Women and men are invited to learn about breast cancer
Because breast cancer is linked to women, Musonga feared being discriminated against when he told people about the diagnosis.
"Rather than being shocked and judgmental, most people are curious and want to know more about breast cancer in men, because it is thought that it is about the same. a female disease, "he said.
He advised men to take the disease seriously and get treatment quickly.
"They should accept it, they can be healed and get back to normal life," he added.
Source link
