Magdalene was on the verge of despair after almost giving up on her conquest to ensure her husband went for his prostate cancer screening. ‘The general recommendation for prostate cancer is to start being examined by your doctor and have a PSA test at the age of 50,’ this was her defense every time her husband went into his argumentative fit.
Mwiluwi termed his wife’s plea shrewish, an attack on his masculinity “for a man is not weak and cannot suffer an illness of such discrepancy.” Mwiluwi was ailing from a sickness of self, but his wife was a sufferer of his toxic and hegemonic masculinity. He growled in pain in the wee hours of the night when he would wake up for his frequent but not-so-painless short calls.
In refusing to attend prostate cancer screening, knowledge, attitudes, and sociodemographic factors seem to play a role.
Eventually, Mwiluwi and his wife opted to visit The Cancer Awareness Centre Of Kenya after months of alarming nights. Cancer Awareness Centre offers screening services for reproductive cancers such as cervical, prostate, and breast cancer.
A biopsy was taken, and it turned out that he had Stage 2 Prostate Cancer. In stage 2, the tumor is still confined to your prostate and hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or other parts of your body. But upon further tests, his healthcare provider ordered a different diagnosis to help determine his treatment plan.
Kirui’s doctor derived the diagnosis from the medical fact that prostate cancer is a natural component of heritable breast carcinoma, where the genetic affinity is interconnected to BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. BRCA2 mutations have been reported to result in an aggressive disease pattern with a reduced survival rate.
Mwiluwi was diagnosed with Mutations in two genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are linked with a higher risk of breast cancer within the human body. These gene mutations are often inherited and run in families, but they can also develop without an inherited pattern.
All men with metastatic prostate cancer should be tested for the BRCA genes. However, having these mutations does not mean that a man will develop prostate cancer.
Additionally, most men who develop prostate cancer do not have BRCA mutations. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a breast disease that may lead to invasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are only in the lining of the ducts and have not spread to other tissues in the breast.
Men with these genetic mutations are at an increased risk of prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Mutations of both genes have been associated with a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, and evidence suggests that mutations in BRCA2 are strongly correlated with prostate cancer risk.
Radiation therapy was administered to Mwiluwi as an external beam and/or brachytherapy for select patients to treat his prostate cancer. Because very few men have breast cancer, it is hard for doctors to study the treatment of male breast cancer patients separately in clinical trials.
Patients with no detectable cancer after surgery/ or who supposedly have the BRCA2 gene mutation are often given treatment to help keep cancer from returning; this is known as adjuvant therapy. Mwiluwi was then given hormone therapy drugs to help regulate the proliferation of hormone-sensitive breast cancer cells and prevent the production of hormones or reduce their activity. The main sign of breast cancer in African men is a lump in the breast, although the nipple and adjacent breast tissue may be affected.
Cases like Mwiluwi’s are examples of what African men can be victims of. According to the CDC, men can get breast cancer, although it is rare. Breast cancer is most often found in women, but men can get breast cancer too.
The most common kind of breast cancer in men is the same kind in women—
Invasive ductal carcinoma.
The cancer cells begin in the ducts and then grow outside the ducts into other parts. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a breast disease that may lead to invasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are only in the lining of the ducts and have not spread to other tissues in the breast.
What Are the Symptoms?
The most common symptoms of breast cancer in men are—
-A lump or swelling in the breast.
-A lump or swelling in the breast.
-Redness or flaky skin in the breast.
-Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
-Nipple discharge.
-Pulling in the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
These symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer. If you have any signs or changes, see your doctor right away. Most lumps and swellings are not a sign of cancer, but you should never categorically ignore them.
They’re usually caused by something relatively harmless, such as enlarged male breast tissue (gynecomastia), a fatty lump (lipoma), or a fluid-filled bump (cyst).
Even though breast cancer rates in Black men are relatively low, all lumps should be checked by a healthcare provider.
