When men go pink

Here's a fact: breast cancer is about 100 times less common among men than among women. Studies show that incidences among males have also remained stable over the last 30 years. Not so with women. Today, one in eight women face the risk of breast cancer in their lifetime. In the UAE itself, it is one of the leading causes of death in women - and it's because of stats like these that the 'Big C' is often seen as more of a 'woman's fight'.
But that is a terribly misguided notion. For a man, if it affects the women in his life - mother, sister, wife, daughter, friend - you can bet all the pink balloons in the
world that it's going to affect him. There's a long way to go before breast cancer can be nipped in the bud, whether in the UAE or the world. Till such time, here are four Dubai-based men who are doing their bit to 'go pink' in their respective circles - and urging menfolk everywhere to champion the cause too.

BEFORE & AFTER: Armin Yazdanparast Tehrani before he went bald; Armin (second from left) and his friends reveal their new look at the breast cancer awareness show he organised for their university
The Student Campaigner
Iranian expat Armin Yazdanparast Tehrani has always been inclined to humanitarian activities. So, when the engineering student from Heriot-Watt University saw an online appeal for volunteers from Premi Mathew, founder of the Protect Your Mom campaign, he decided it was right up his alley. Together with fellow student Zarafshah Khan, he organised a show and brought together the university's drama, music and dance clubs to create awareness about early detection of breast cancer. That was four years ago and the show is now an annual event.
"Our goal was to create an event that would have an impact on people and make them care more about their mothers," explains the fresh graduate. "We wanted it to be a day to remember, but it wasn't just entertainment-oriented. So, while the various clubs did pitch in to drive the message home, we also had a doctor visit the campus and explain the whole process: the dangers, the symptoms, how you could examine yourself etc." The entire experience turned out to be quite the learning process, as he learnt to coordinate the duties of over 60 volunteers while also juggling his personal academic responsibilities.
It was also the year he first went bald as a small way of expressing his solidarity with chemo patients. "I've actually gone bald twice," says the 22-year-old. "The first time, I was very nervous because I didn't know how people would react. I didn't even tell my parents. I just thought it would be a good way to make people ask questions so I could tell them about the campaign and why it was important to pressurise their mums into doing regular checks."
The first three days were the most awkward, he laughs. "Your head feels so cold and you feel like half your head is missing. People's reactions weren't as bad as I thought they'd be though. Instead of giving me weird looks, they actually commended me on doing a great job. The second time around, my mum was a little sceptical - but only because she wasn't sure that breast cancer survivors would appreciate being 'reminded' of what they've been through. She was just concerned about me, I think - but both my parents were proud of what I was doing for the cause."
Although he was unable to continue being involved in the show's organisation in the last couple of years due to the need to focus on his studies, Armin's passion for the cause has hardly abated. Neither age nor gender should be a barrier to contributing to the fight, he feels. "I'd ask everyone, especially guys, to be more involved in the community. If everyone had this mindset, can you imagine what kind of world we'd be living in?" It's not overly idealistic or wishful thinking either, he adds. "Think of it practically. The only things that can come of focusing on your own needs are rivalries and tragic consequences. We need to do better."

The Corporate Campaigner
The Joyalukkas Group's Think Pink campaign - which spreads awareness about breast cancer - is a familiar one for residents in the UAE. Executive director John Paul Alukkas recalls the early days when he began the campaign in-house, encouraging staff to conduct self-exams and offering screenings in cooperation with leading medical institutions in the UAE. But it was not enough. Being "very aware of the concerns and issues that affect the communities the company operates in", he also knew that they had to make the campaign public in order to help as many women fight the dreaded disease as they could.
The campaign was officially launched in 2011 and, leading by example, John Paul "immediately took the Pink Pledge"  - a promise to continue the fight against breast cancer. He actively sought partnerships with medical professionals and institutions so they could offer free screenings, as well as other kinds of support, to the public during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "The full force of the Joyalukkas Group network is behind this campaign and we intend to renew our commitment to it every year," he assures.
Incredibly, despite this, he says the biggest insight they've gained in the last five years is that there is still a lot of misinformation out there regarding breast cancer. Or, if women are getting the right message, they're not using it to their advantage. "For example, since women over 40 are now aware that they need to have themselves screened and undergo a mammogram every two years, they think that doing a self-exam is no longer necessary," he says. "But one of the things we try our best to do is to stress the importance of early detection and encourage women, no matter what their age, to conduct regular self-exams. Those five minutes you spend on yourself every day make a very big difference in the fight against breast cancer."
In his own family, he says, everyone has taken the Pink Pledge, so not only do they ensure that every female member conducts self-exams but they also go out of their way to spread the word all year round, and not just during October.
Meanwhile, their campaign this year has taken on a more emotional appeal. "In the first few years of this initiative, most participants were women in the age group of 45 to 60," says the businessman. "Sometimes, they'd bring their daughters with them, who were mostly in their twenties and thirties. In recent years, however, we have noticed younger women coming in, bringing along younger children with them. This made me think of how devastating it would be for families so young to lose their guiding light, and that's why we decided to address this segment of society this year. #MomINeedYou is a reminder that it's the children who stand to lose the most when their mothers are diagnosed with breast cancer."
The best change he's seen so far is that more people are talking openly about breast cancer. "It is no longer so taboo a topic that you only speak about it in whispers with family and the closest of friends," he says, with some satisfaction. "Women are also becoming more proactive, getting themselves screened as early as possible and taking the pledge to conduct regular self-exams."
His message to women is simple: "Breast cancer is the sixth deadliest type of cancer in the world, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, there is a 98 per cent chance of survival, if it is detected early enough. Don't be casual about it or assume it will never happen to you. Start with yourself and do a regular self-exam. Think about it as part of your beauty or wellbeing regimen. Think about who would be worst affected by your loss and take better care of yourself."
It's not just a woman's fight either, he adds. "I think, with men, awareness about breast cancer is only starting to grow. After all, men have a 1 in 1,000 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer. But considering that 2,600 new cases of breast cancer in men are diagnosed globally every year, I strongly believe they need to be aware about it too. Know the risk factors, such as obesity, radiation exposure, ageing and others. Get as much information as you can. And, most importantly, build a support group where you can openly discuss the disease. Breast cancer does not have to end in tragedy."

SPEAKING OUT: (left to right) John Paul Alukkas, executive director of Joyalukkas Group; Deena with her husband Ajith; Dr Adnan Tahir, consultant plastic surgeon at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery
The Family Campaigner
When Ajith Achaiah found out, in May this year, that his wife of 17 years (and counting) had been diagnosed with breast cancer, he thought it was the end. "I'd just lost my dad to pancreatic cancer last year around the same time, and now this. The whole family was shattered." The 45-year-old father-of-two was in India when his wife, Deena, called to tell him she'd found a lump. He made her go see a doc. "The doctor she wanted to see was on leave and she wanted to wait - but I insisted that we find another ASAP." When the tests were done, Deena was confirmed as having second stage breast cancer.
The couple were in two minds about whether to go back to India for treatment, or stay. The timing could not have been more unfortunate, either, as Ajith had just changed jobs and juggling work commitments and doctor's appointments was pretty tough. "We managed to find a good doctor, so we decided to hang on here for a little longer," says the Indian expat from Coorg, Karnataka. As of now, Deena has had a mastectomy and completed four sessions of chemotherapy. She will also require radiation once the chemo is done.
While it's a very physically taxing journey to undertake, Ajith's experience is teaching him that, more than anything else, what a cancer patient really needs is mental support. "I try to keep Deena distracted and ensure we live our lives as normally as possible, so she doesn't dwell on or think too much about the disease," he says. "I go with her for all her chemo treatments - my boss has really been supportive and lets me off when I need to accompany her to appointments - and always tell her not to worry. We count down the number of sessions left together, and I always give her pep talks." For her part, Deena is usually down for a week after a chemo session, but returns to work after that.
They have several well-wishers but the actual struggle lies in maintaining everyday routines - especially for the couple's two young daughters, aged 15 and five. "I won't be able to travel with Deena when she goes to India in a few months for her radiation treatment, as the older one is in Grade 10 and I'll need to be there for her, to help her prepare for the board exams that are coming up in March. My daughter took the diagnosis pretty hard initially, so I need to constantly reassure her that nothing is going to happen to her mom," he explains. "Everything is crucial: on the one hand, I need to help my daughter, but I also have to be there for my wife, and take care of the little one who can't really do things on her own yet."
If it were not for Deena's constant positivity, Ajith says he might have given up a long time ago. "The first few days were rough. I kept having a lot of unwanted thoughts and was feeling very discouraged. But Deena has been so optimistic throughout all this that I've started believing that this is something we can overcome."
The couple also have plans to start an awareness campaign in their villages back home, when they relocate in a few years. "Most women don't do anything until it's too late," he notes. "But they need to know that if they suspect anything at all, they have to get it checked out. Even educated women brush it off, and uneducated women think it's too taboo to talk about. That's something we want to change. We want to spread the word."
Cancer is not a death sentence anymore, says Ajith - and a positive attitude goes a long way. "I strongly believe that's why my dad couldn't sustain his own fight. His confidence was really shaken, despite all our support. If the patient is mentally down, there's very little anyone else can do. By God's grace, Deena has the positivity she needs - and we're going to fight this out together now."

The Medical Campaigner
Having worked in the industry for the last 15 years, consultant plastic surgeon Dr Adnan Tahir's speciality lies in breast reconstruction. "Every plastic surgeon has a specialisation. I chose mine because I think breast cancer is a devastating disease and all women have the right to be offered choices in breast reconstruction surgery - something that's not really being dealt with at a primary care level."
To be able to offer them some sort of reconstructive option where you can rebuild the breast to what it was - or, at least, close to what it was before surgery - would help boost their self-esteem tremendously, feels Dr Adnan, who practises at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery, and says he spends most of his time educating patients, who come with little or no knowledge about procedures available to them after a mastectomy. "There are two kinds of reconstruction surgeries: immediate and delayed," he explains. "The first happens right after the mastectomy, and allows women to come out of the operation theatre with something that resembles the opposite breast. The second is done much later, but the aesthetic results are not as superior."
Breast cancer is not just a woman's fight, says the surgeon. "As a man of science, I would always encourage awareness of breast cancer, even among men, because early diagnosis and treatment is key to this disease. Awareness, among men, of this disease is important to the overall health of a family and the upbringing of the children."
The primary reason for deaths due to breast cancer in the developing world is because of late presentation, he reminds us. "And that is, in part, because we're still seeing a huge taboo in terms of cultural issues. But, cancer is cancer - and I think it should be above all these man-made cultural taboos. The masses have to be educated about life-threatening diseases - especially considering that, with modern science, one can return to a pretty normal life after treatment is done at an early stage."
karen@khaleejtimes.com