A feminist organization, Heart and Rose Cancer Advocacy Foundation has expressed concern over the prevalence of breast cancer cases in Nigeria even among men.

Breast cancer, according to the group is not gender selective as it affects both males and females and has remained one of the top leading cause of deaths especially among women.

Speaking to The Guardian in Owerri, the leader of the group, Mrs. Chinonso Patricia Dozie, a breast cancer survivor said effort should to made to sustain continuous sensitization of the health ailment to the citizens.

She said, like the adults, students and young people should be properly educated about dangers of breast cancer, stressing that knowledge of it and its early detection are vital in surviving it.

She said, “As you are aware, every October is the month of breast cancer awareness. Within this period, we have been to schools and talking to little boys and girls on the danger of breast cancer.

“You see, knowing about breast cancer is one thing but taking the right step to prevent it is another. Also, breast cancer may just be known to only adults and that is why we at Heart and Rose Advocacy Foundation have decided to take it down to the grassroots particularly to our teenage boys and girls.

“The point now is that cancer hits everyone. Today, the breast cancer we are talking about is not only restricted to just female alone, males this days suffer breast cancer.

“Looking at the physiology of men and women, the breast in women tend to develop but that does not mean that men do not have breast. Whatever causes breast cancer can still happen in men. So take it that men do come down with breast cancer now and the treatment is the same.”

Mrs. Dozie continued, “We are most concerned over the cervical cancer which is the second leading cause of death in females now. But luckily, there is now a vaccine for it. That is Human papilloma vaccine. It is free, it is save and it is preventive. So cervical cancer is about now the only cancer that has gotten vaccination.

“Now, if you can prevent it, why do you have to wait to get treatment? Why do you wait to contract it and then begin to get treatment. So it is about time we begin to pay adequate attention to our health and to our body.”

“For everyone especially the women, from time to time, you get to hospital to get yourself checked. All we preach is early detection and to seek medical intervention on time and it will help your chances of survival.” she added.