By: Konadu Benedicta
A Junior Resident in General Surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Joelle Amissah has debunked the claim that sucking breasts can prevent breast cancer.
According to her, it is breastfeeding that can prevent breast cancer and not breast-sucking by men.
“Ok so what actually prevent breast cancer is the atom breastfeeding. It’s not just sucking. It’s breastfeeding because what happens is, there is this hormone called prolactin and prolactin has a protective effect on the breast and the idea of a baby sucking. When the baby suckles, then the brain is activated, the prolactin hormone is released and while that isn’t the system, it is protected. So, it’s breastfeeding. It’s not just sucking the breast”.
“They are not helping. It may but they are not helping to prevent breast cancer. I mean, it doesn’t help unless it’s a baby that is breastfeeding”, she added.
Dr Amissah however advised women to examine their breasts monthly and encourage their partners to examine them if they feel anything unusual.
“Yes definitely, but the best person to do is the lady herself. But if she feels something, she could always ask a partner for a second opinion. Yes, that would help. So, the most important thing is to do health breast examination monthly and since there are factors that we cannot modify, we should really work on the ones we can, so that it will be a more active lifestyle, keeping your weight, living healthy, limit and then limiting alcohol”, according to Dr. Amissah.
