A medical expert, Mrs Abigael Shona, has busted the myth that breast cancer can be prevented when man sucking a woman’s breast.

According to the expert, only actively breastfeeding a baby can achieve that goal.

Shona on Monday in Ilorin said that breastfeeding a baby, whereby the baby draws out milk, can prevent breast cancer in women.

She said that breast sucking by men could only help detect cancer, but it can’t prevent it the way breastfeeding would.

She said women who breastfeed lower their risk of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer.

“Most women who breastfeed experience hormonal changes during lactation that delay their menstrual periods.

“This reduces a woman’s lifetime exposure to hormones such as estrogen, which can promote breast cancer cell growth.

“What sucking the breast by a man can only do is to detect breast cancer by feeling the lumps early enough, so the woman can seek medical help,” Shona said.

She, however, encouraged women to allow their spouses to massage and fondle their breasts to help them detect breast cancer early.

“We are encouraging women not to deprive their husbands the pleasure of breast sucking and fondling, as this is also beneficial to them.

“This is because, inasmuch as we advocate self-examination by women for early detection, most women don’t do it.

“So, if they allow their husbands help them with it, it will help a lot because early detection is the major panacea to addressing the scourge.

“If breast cancer is detected early before it gets to an advanced stage, the patient can survive it,” Shona said.

The medical expert, however, noted that men could also have breast cancer, advising them to also be on the lookout.

(NAN)