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Men With Large Breasts At Higher Risk Of Breast Cancer, Says Expert

Published

6 months ago

April 12, 2025

The Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Uche Nwokwu, has said that men with large breasts are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Nwokwu revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that men undergoing hormone therapy to alter their body physiology to appear more feminine are also at elevated risk.

He explained that because men had breast tissue, they could develop breast cancer, although the condition was rare.

Confirming that such cases had been recorded in Nigeria, the NCCP coordinator emphasised the need for awareness.

According to him, breast development in men can be triggered by an increase in estrogen, the hormone responsible for breast growth, particularly when testosterone levels drop.

He said: “The hormone that women have that makes their breasts develop is also present in men. The difference is that testosterone, which is higher in men, suppresses that hormone; so when there’s an imbalance between the two, whichever is higher tends to manifest more.”

He added that when estrogen levels in men become dominant, it could lead to gynecomastia (the enlargement of male breast tissue) which in turn increases the risk of breast cancer.

“Once there’s a fluctuation that disrupts the body’s ability to regulate the cell ducts, it can trigger breast cancer,” he said.

Nwokwu noted that the risk factors for breast cancer in men are similar to those in women.

He, however, said that women were more prone due to their more developed breast tissue and cell ducts.

He said that men with larger breasts face a higher risk than those with average breast size, though no man was completely exempted.

“The reason is simple, anything that lowers male hormones, whether due to sickness or environmental factors, can cause an increase in female hormones. That imbalance can result in gynecomastia and, by extension, raise the risk of breast cancer,” he said.

He also identified genetics as a significant factor, saying “People who come from families with a genetic predisposition need to be cautious, as even slight environmental triggers can elevate their risk.”

The coordinator further warned that men who undergo hormone therapy in attempts to transition to a female body structure are also at increased risk.

“When men take hormone therapies to alter their physiology, the more active female hormones can expose them to a higher risk of breast cancer,” he said.

On available data, Nwokwu said figures are low partly because men often do not recognise the symptoms of breast cancer until they receive a proper diagnosis.

He acknowledged the lack of conclusive data on the disease in men, saying it reflected a broader challenge in cancer data collection.

However, the NCCP coordinator noted that the Federal Government had designated cancer as a reportable disease to enhance data gathering.

He added that efforts were underway to improve diagnostic capacity nationwide so that any abnormality found in the body could be accurately identified and diagnosed.

To reduce the risk of breast cancer, Nwokwu advised men to regularly check their bodies for lumps or unusual growths, especially in the breast area.

“Any abnormal growth should be properly investigated. Tissue samples should be taken for laboratory diagnosis,” he advised.

NAN

News

Ovia South West Council Chairman, Edobor Bags National Merit Award

Published

2 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

The Acting Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Charles Nosakhare Edobor, has bagged the 2025 Nigerian Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA).

He was awarded as the Best Performing Local Government Chairman in Nigeria (Security and infrastructure development, purposeful leadership).

Speaking after being conferred with the prestigious award, Edobor applauded the organizers for recognizing his administration’s commitment to localizing good governance.

He highlighted his leadership’s remarkable strides in building a sustainable, livable, and prosperous council area through numerous people-oriented programmes and projects-particularly in road infrastructure and the provision of basic social amenities.

Edobor dedicated the award to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and to the good people of Ovia south west Local Government Area.

He expressed satisfaction with the honour. He emphasized that the award would further spur him to work harder in pursuing people-centred programmes aligned with Senator Monday Okpebholo’s S.H.I.N.E and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Edobor commended Governor Okpebholo for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for local government administrations across the state.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening rural development, empowering youth and women, and ensuring the dividends of democracy reach every ward in Ovia south west local government.

Earlier, in his welcome address at the event which held on Wednesday at the National Merit House, Abuja, the National Coordinator of LOGMA, Chief Bayode Ojo, stated that the award was designed to showcase the achievements of local government chairmen and reward excellence in grassroots governance – particularly those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting grassroots development despite the challenges confronting the third tier of government.

He congratulated all the awardees for making the final list after rigorous scrutiny and spot-checking of some of their executed projects to verify the authenticity of their claims.

Chief Ojo further urged the awardees to continue to be shining examples of sustainable growth at the grassroots and in the country at large.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss

Published

2 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.

The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

More to follow…

News

Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

Published

20 hours ago

October 23, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has launched two transformative initiatives designed to recalibrate traffic governance and restore environmental sanctity across the metropolis.

In a visionary bid to guarantee seamless mobility and safe commuting at all hours, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally instituted a 24-hour operational framework for traffic management and enforcement across Lagos State.

The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’s transportation governance.

It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods and services within Nigeria’s economic epicentre—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.

According to Giwa, the 24-hour operational regime epitomises the administration’s steadfast dedication to constant vigilance, operational efficiency and disciplined traffic regulation, especially as the metropolis approaches the festive period, traditionally characterised by heightened vehicular and commercial activity.

This information was contained in a statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.

He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.

“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Giwa stated.

A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialised unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.

In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Costain and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.

The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorised traders, makeshift structures and multiple environmental infractions.

During the operation, enforcement teams uncovered an illegal diesel dumping site and impounded substantial quantities of expired plantain chips and cheese balls, stored under unsanitary conditions—a testament to the government’s prioritisation of public health and environmental integrity.

The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitisation campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.

Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Costain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded.

Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.

Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order and discipline.

General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators and commuters to comply with government directives, utilise designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient and orderly metropolis.

He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement and civic responsibility.