Breast Cancer Awareness: If only women paid attention to their breast as men do

Last week on Saturday I went to Mater Hospital for the free breast cancer clinic. Knowing how Kenyans love free stuff, I left my apartment at 6am, hoping to avoid a long queue. On the way there, I chatted with my taxi driver (I call him Dere). Here’s is our conversation.

            Dere: Why are you going to the hospital? Are you sick? You don’t look sick.

Me: I know I don’t look sick. I don’t feel sick. I am just going for a check-up.

Dere: (looking puzzled) Why?

Me: Why what?

Dere: Why go to see a doctor if you are not sick?

Me: Dere, you don’t go to see a doctor just because you feel sick. You need to go for regular check-ups, you know. Regular health exams and tests can help find problems way before they start. They also can help find problems early on, when your chances for treatment and cure are better.

Dere: Now, what kind of tests could someone like me go for?

Me: HIV/AIDS, cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, diabetes, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer.

Dere: I didn’t understand the last two.

Me: (Hesitatingly )uhmmm…colorectal cancer is the cancer of the colon, rectum or the appendix. Prostate cancer affects uhmmm… (really embarrassed now) the male, uuuhmm…

Dere: The male reproductive system?

Me: (Phew!) yeah…

(An awkward silence)

Dere: Here we are! Very few people on the queue.

Me: Great.  So Dere, I think you should encourage your wife to come today. They have free breast cancer tests. Pap smears to check for cervical cancer are also subsidized.

Dere: Ok. I will bring her in an hour.

Later that afternoon Dere calls me to inform me that he and his wife are grateful that I encouraged them to go for check-up. Unfortunately, just like me, she was diagnosed with multiple uterine fibroids. They have been trying to have a second baby but without success. Since they already had a child they didn’t really think it was a health issue. Now they know where the problem is and can get help.  The great news is that both of us do not have breast cancer :)

But not everyone is that lucky. Each year, nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer; 1 in 8 women will get the disease. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and it is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women, after lung cancer. It is projected that most of new cancer cases in the next decade will occur in under-resourced countries like Kenya.

Dear readers, it's time to take charge of your health! Kenyans, away with the attitude that you should only see a doctor when you are sick. Schedule an appointment with your health care provider to discuss what screenings and exams you need and when you need them. Women, October is the breast cancer awareness month. In this regard, there are various free breast cancer clinics at Mater and Aga Khan Hospitals. Please call them and ask for the dates.