Suckling of Women’s Breasts by Men Won’t Prevent Breast Cancer, says Cancer Institute

The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has dispelled the belief that suckling of women’s breasts by men will prevent breast cancer.

At the Uganda Media Center in Kampala, during the Breast Cancer Awareness Month commemoration, Dr. Naghib Bogere, an oncologist at the Uganda Cancer Institute, debunked the popular notion that men suckling women’s breasts can reduce breast cancer risk, calling it entirely inaccurate.  

According to Dr. Bogere, such misconceptions can deter women from seeking timely breast cancer check-ups. He emphasized that breastfeeding by a child is the proven way to reduce breast cancer risk.

“We know that breastfeeding is one of the preventive measures of breast cancer, the longer you breastfeed, the lower the likelihood of breast cancer, and usually the benefit is recorded when you breastfeed for at least a year.” said. 

He added: “Whenever you breastfeed, the cells in your breasts mature, and when they mature and fully develop, chances of cancer forming in those cells are lower, but these changes cannot happen if your husband is only sucking at your breasts,” Bogere noted.  

He, called on men to encourage their wives to examine their breasts monthly and offer support throughout treatment, noting that the chances of healing are 90% if breast cancer is detected in its early stages.

The Uganda Cancer Institute also warned that breast cancer isn’t exclusive to women, as men can also be affected, although women are more likely to develop the disease. Dr. Bogere noted that approximately 1 in 25 breast cancer patients is a man. 

“If we examine 100 patients, it means we’ll get 4 men with breast cancer,” Bogere asserted. “The challenge we have with men is that they think breasts are female organs and don’t know they can get the disease. So, the message is: men also have breasts, men can also get breast cancer. Men should screen their breasts for any changes, examine themselves for lumps, and visit the cancer institute if they notice anything unusual.”

Dr. Alfred Jatho announced that during the community engagement and awareness month, they plan to conduct several activities, including organizing health camps for screening, conducting surgeries in various districts, and offering free screening at all district health facilities across Uganda’s regions until the end of October.