Five minutes. Once a month. Your own two hands. That is all it takes to give yourself the best possible chance against the most common cancer in Nigeria. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so let’s talk about it plainly, without fear and without the whispering.
Here’s the hard truth first. Breast cancer is the number one cancer in Nigeria. It makes up almost half of all cancers diagnosed in Nigerian women.2 And here’s the part that breaks my heart: about 3 in every 4 Nigerian patients only get diagnosed when the cancer is already advanced.3
Now the hopeful truth. When breast cancer is caught early, while it is still in the breast, more than 99 out of 100 people are alive five years later.4 Finding it early changes everything, and finding it early often starts with you.
Breast cancer in one minute
Your body is made of cells that grow, divide and are replaced in an orderly way. Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control and form a lump or thickening. Left alone, those cells can spread to the lymph nodes in the armpit and then to other parts of the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver or brain. That spread is what makes late breast cancer so dangerous, and why time matters so much.
Worldwide, about 2.4 million women are diagnosed every year.1 Most of them have no special risk factor other than being a woman and getting older.1 In other words, “it doesn’t run in my family” does not mean “it can’t happen to me”.
Gentlemen, don’t scroll away. Men get it too
Men have breast tissue too, just less of it, and it can become cancerous. Breast cancer in men is rare, making up less than 1 in 100 cases,1 and a man’s lifetime risk is about 1 in 755.5 But because nobody expects it, men often ignore the lump for months and arrive at the hospital late.
Most men who get it are in their 60s or 70s. The risk is higher with a family history of breast cancer (in women or men), inherited gene changes such as BRCA2, obesity, heavy drinking, serious liver disease and some testicular conditions.6 The usual sign is a firm, painless lump just behind or around the nipple. Any lump in a man’s chest deserves a check. A lot of the time it’s a harmless swelling, but only a doctor can say for sure.
How to check yourself, step by step
The goal is not to become a doctor. The goal is to know your normal, so that you notice early when something changes. Women: do it once a month, a few days after your period ends, when breasts are least tender. If you no longer have periods, or you are a man, just pick a date, like the 1st of every month.
- Look in the mirror. Stand with your arms relaxed at your sides, then raise them above your head, then press your hands firmly on your hips. Look at both breasts for any change in size or shape, puckering or dimpling of the skin, redness, or a nipple that has turned inwards or changed direction.7
- Feel in the shower. Soapy skin makes it easier. Raise one arm behind your head. With the flat pads of the three middle fingers of your other hand, press in small circles over the whole breast, from the outside towards the nipple. Then do the other side.7
- Feel lying down. Lie on your back with a small pillow under your right shoulder and your right hand behind your head. Use your left hand to cover the whole right breast with small circles, using light, then medium, then firm pressure. Repeat on the left side.7
- Don’t forget the armpit and the area up to your collarbone. Breast tissue extends there, and so do the lymph nodes.
- Squeeze each nipple gently and look for any fluid, especially if it is bloody or comes from one side only.
Use a pattern so you don’t miss a spot. Any of these works. Just use the same one every month.
Prefer to watch? This short video from the NHS shows how to check your breasts or chest, step by step.
What you are looking for
See a doctor promptly if you notice any of these, in a woman or a man:1
Please don’t panic if you find something. Many breast lumps turn out to be harmless cysts or swellings. But only a proper examination, and sometimes a scan or a small sample, can tell. The worst thing you can do is wait and hope it goes away.
Myths that are costing lives
Late diagnosis in Nigeria is not only about money or distance. It’s also about what we have been told. Let’s clear some of it up:
“It doesn’t hurt, so it’s nothing.”
Breast cancer lumps are often painless.1 Pain is not the warning sign. Change is.
“Nobody in my family has had it.”
Most people diagnosed have no special risk factor apart from being a woman and getting older.1
“Men can’t get breast cancer.”
They can, and because they don’t expect it, they often find out late.5
“Let me try herbs and prayer first.”
Pray, by all means, but go to the hospital at the same time. Every month of delay gives the cancer time to spread.
Your lifestyle: the part you can control
You can’t change your age, your sex or your genes. But some everyday choices do shift the odds:
- Move your body. Aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, like brisk walking, dancing or cycling. More is even better.8
- Watch your weight, especially after menopause. Extra body fat after menopause raises the risk, because fat tissue produces oestrogen.8
- Go easy on alcohol. The risk rises with every drink, and no amount is completely safe. If you drink, women should keep it to one drink a day at most.8
- Don’t smoke. Tobacco is one of the listed risk factors for breast cancer, on top of everything else it does to you.1
- Breastfeed if you can. For every 12 months a woman breastfeeds in her lifetime, her breast cancer risk falls by about 4%.9
- Talk before you take hormones. If you are considering menopause hormone therapy, discuss the benefits and risks with your doctor first.8
Healthy habits lower the risk, but they don’t make anyone immune. Fit, healthy people get breast cancer too. That’s why checking matters even if you eat well and exercise.
Beyond self-checks: when to see a professional
A self-check is your first line of defence, not your only one. A mammogram (a low-dose breast X-ray) can find cancers long before they can be felt. The World Health Organization advises regular mammogram screening for women aged 50 to 69.1 If you are 40 or older, or you have a close relative who had breast or ovarian cancer, ask your doctor when you should start. Many hospitals also offer a clinical breast examination, where a trained nurse or doctor checks your breasts for you.
Found something, or just worried?
Talk to a pharmacist, in confidence
We’ll listen, answer your questions, and help you understand your next step and where to go for a proper examination. Nothing to be shy about.
Pass it on
Set a monthly reminder on your phone today. Then share this with your sister, your mother, your wife, your friends from church or the mosque, and yes, the men in your life too. One message could be the reason someone you love finds it early.
This article is for general information and does not replace a medical examination. If you notice any change in your breasts or chest, please see a doctor.
References
- World Health Organization. Breast cancer: fact sheet. WHO; 2026. View source
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. Global Cancer Observatory: Nigeria fact sheet. IARC/WHO. View source
- Agodirin O, Chijindu C, Fathi M, et al. Nigeria’s 6-year (2018–2023) stage distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ecancermedicalscience. 2025;19:1899. View source
- American Cancer Society. Breast cancer survival rates (women diagnosed 2015–2021). View source
- American Cancer Society. Key statistics for breast cancer in men. View source
- American Cancer Society. Risk factors for breast cancer in men. View source
- Michigan State University Women’s Health. 3 easy ways to do breast self-exams. View source
- American Cancer Society. Lifestyle-related breast cancer risk factors. View source
- Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries. Lancet. 2002;360(9328):187–195. View source