A medical practitioner, Dr. Blessing Ebe has said that breast cancer is not a women only disease, noting that men are also susceptible.
At the Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2025, organised by ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC) for women and men across its host and impacted communities aimed at promoting early detection, prevention, and lifestyle awareness on breast cancer, spoke on the personal and collective responsibility everyone must take to reduce the burden of cancer in society.
Delivering the keynote presentation, Ebe drew from her clinical experience, narrating the touching story of a woman who declined treatment due to cultural myths. She recalled: ‘She told me, “if they cut off my breast, I will not be allowed to be buried in my community”. Sadly, she chose not to receive treatment’.
She explained that Nigeria remains among the countries with the highest global burden of breast cancer, attributing this to ignorance, fear, and late presentation. ‘Many people still believe that saying “God forbid” is a cancer prevention strategy, but that’s not true. Early detection remains the strongest weapon against this disease’, she stated.
Highlighting risk factors such as obesity, excessive alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle, and misuse of hormonal drugs, Ebe advised both men and women to regularly examine themselves using the “Touch, Look, and Check” method. She revealed: ‘I once had a lump in my breast, and it was my husband who first noticed it. That’s why men also play a critical role in breast cancer prevention’.
She then said: ‘Breast cancer is not a death sentence. When detected early, it can be treated and cured. Let’s all touch, look, and check because every story is unique, and every journey truly matters’.
The session forms part of AGPC’s broader commitment to community health and wellbeing under its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Through continuous advocacy and health intervention programmes, AGPC continues to promote healthy living, strengthen community resilience, and inspire a culture of preventive care among its stakeholders.
