BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – BREAST CANCER has long been considered a female illness as the majority of its victims are women. However, while the occurrence might be less, men are not exempted in the development of the disease. But just how many of them are willing to have their breasts examined?
October is observed internationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, in support of it, the TDC Group of Companies’ City Drug Store (Nevis) Ltd. and the St. Kitts branch of the Home and Building Depot launched a ‘Think Pink’ programme with one of the key components being free breast examinations.
The examinations are available to both men and women and, according to information which this publication has gathered, more than 80 individuals across the Federation have capitalised on the available opportunities to have had their breasts examined.
Other information suggests – however - that while men have expressed some interest in these exercises, all the individuals so far examined are females.
Dr. Vance Gilbert of the New Life Health Center and Dr. Kathlene Allen-Ferdinand have both endorsed TDC’s promotion.
Speaking with this publication, Dr. Gilbert explained that even if men do not receive a mammogram, breast examinations should at least form part of their annual physical check-up routine.
“Breast cancer is much less common in men. It occurs at a rate of about 1 in 1 000 men. It is something that can happen because men also have breast tissue, not as much as females but we do have breast tissue. In females, where it is recommended that tests such as the mammogram are done, I think for men it would suffice to alert your doctor to any changes in the breast. This could be down during the annual physical examination.”
Nonetheless, Dr. Gilbert encouraged men to capitalise on the free breast examinations which form part of the Think Pink campaign.
“It is free and it is something that can detect any changes you might have had early on. And even though it is not as common in men as it is in women, you don’t want to be the one in 1 000 who got breast cancer and didn’t catch it early enough.”
