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Doctors urge men to get tested as breast cancer cases rise
13th October, 2025 08:43 PM
Caption:Men asked not to shy away from breast cancer testing.VIDEO/K24TV A symposium on breast treatment comprising medical experts from across the country has identified breast cancer in men as a growing concern since most of them shy away from being tested.
The precision treatment conference for doctors is taking place at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) as the world marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“Sadly, what we see in the clinics is that most men are coming very late for testing and treatment because they are shy and are afraid of the stigma. They don’t seek help early, making disease management very challenging,” said Abeid Athman, head of the oncology department at KUTRRH.
He added, “Our message to men out there is to examine your breasts because anyone with breast glands can get breast cancer, and it is still manageable and curable.”
However, the oncologist said the prevalence is still low for men at 1 per cent nationally, while at KUTRRH, it is quite high at 5 per cent, which is higher than global standards—an incidence he attributed to cases referred there from other medical facilities.
As for women’s breast cancer cases, the medic noted that 45 per cent of African females aged below 45 are diagnosed with breast cancer compared to 5 to 10 per cent of their peers in Europe and the US.
According to the medical experts attending the symposium, breast cancer in men, just like in women, is treatable when diagnosed early and may not necessarily lead to death.
Some causes
Daniel Ojuka, a breast surgeon and associate professor at the University of Nairobi, attributed the rise in breast cancer cases to lifestyles like smoking and alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol consumption is a risk factor, as is smoking. For every unit of alcohol consumed, the chances of getting breast cancer are between 1 and 7 per cent, whereas smoking interferes with the endocrine system in the body or the estrogens, which increases the chances of getting the disease,” Ojuka explained.
However, he pointed out that whereas the majority of new cancer cases are genetic, changes in lifestyle can help minimise the risk, including early detection or testing, diet, and physical exercise.
The hospital chief executive officer, Zainab Gura, who officially opened the three-day conference, said the occasion offers specialists a chance to discuss cutting-edge technology and innovations in the treatment and management of breast cancer, which is the leading form of cancer in Kenya.
She observed that most patients die because of late diagnosis and emphasised the need for awareness creation and early testing.
Gura also explained that while breast cancer treatment is covered by the Social Health Authority, the facility will be offering free screening, mammography tests, and biopsies for women as part of breast cancer awareness activities.
“The cost of treatment for breast cancer is usually low when detected early. We are appealing to Kenyans to go for screening even when they are not sick,” she stated, while stressing the need to observe healthy living practices.
