44 •
The Lion King
• October - December 2015
Lifestyle
| Health
Five Facts You May Not
Know About Breast Cancer
I
n Nigeria, up to two in every 25 women are at risk of breast
cancer. However, as scary as these statistics are, there is
more hope today for breast cancer patients due to signifi-
cant improvements in detection and treatment.
One way we can address any fears that we may have is to
be well-informed and understand the risks and which fac-
tors or lifestyle choices are most significant. So, we are pre-
senting five facts about breast cancer because the more
we know, the more equipped we are to fight it.
Lumps are not the only
sign of breast cancer
It is helpful to know that breast cancer can appear in forms
other than a lump.
Other symptoms include thickening of the skin in the breast
or underarm area; swelling, warmth, redness, or darkening
of the breasts; a change in your breast size or shape; dim-
pling or puckering of the breast skin; an itchy, scaly sore or
rash on the nipple; a pulling in of your nipple or another part
of your breast; sudden nipple discharge; or pain in one spot
of the breast that does not go away.
Your father’s family
history is also
important in assessing the
risk of breast cancer
One myth about breast cancer is that a person’s risk is
increased only when there are affected relatives on the
mother’s side of the family. However, the father’s side of the
family is equally important in assessing breast cancer risk.
Men have breast tissue
Many people do not realise that men have breast tissue
and that they can develop breast cancer.
However, breast cancer is less common in men because
their breast duct cells are less developed than those of
women. In addition, they normally have lower levels of
female hormones that affect the growth of breast cells.
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