Ayuba told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Jos that people were eating more of processed and refined foods these days.
“People are also becoming more sedentary in their lifestyles and these are risk factors that make an individual, especially women, prone to the cancer.
“We eat more processed food, which is usually high in saturated fat and salt; the more fat in the system increases the chances of breast cancer because it increases a woman’s level of estrogens.
“It is important for a woman to attempt to control her weight, particularly after menopause. Once a woman has stopped menstruating, her levels of estrogen and progesterone are much higher than they once were.
“Excess fat tissue may cause significant increases in her hormone levels. Most of us indulge greatly in sedentary lifestyles.
“We prefer to drive or take the commercial transport system rather than trekking.
“We use the elevators rather than the stairs, we sit down most of the day in our offices and we barely exercise; such acts are detrimental to our health,” the expert said.
According to Ayuba, physical activity not only helps a woman reduce her risk of breast cancer by maintaining a healthy body weight, it may also have its own benefits to risk reduction.
He said that women, who started menstruating at an early age, are susceptible to cancer of the breast.
“A woman’s amount of exposure to estrogens and progesterone during her lifetime is believed to be a risk factor. The longer a woman is exposed, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer.
“Therefore, if a woman begins menstruation before age 12, she is believed to be at slightly higher risk. The other risk factors include early menopause, environmental factors, and family history,” he added.
The histopathologist said when an individual notices changes such as inverted nipples, changes in the sizes of the breast, and discharge from the breast, which were usually bloody and in lumps, they should seek prompt medical attention.
Ayuba advised women and men to ensure they were very familiar with their breasts in order to detect sudden charges and abnormalities.
The expert said that men could also have breast cancer with the symptoms similar to that of a woman.
“It is just that such cases are rare; however if a man notices abnormalities and lump in his breast, he should not take such for granted but seek medical attention,” he advised.
Ayuba further advised women to develop the habit of breast examination, stressing that would help them to discover any abnormalities.
He counselled members of the public on the need to eat more fresh foods and fruits and on the importance of engaging in physical activities.
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