Male Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is thought of primarily as a woman's disease, however men do have breast tissue and their breast tissue can become cancerous. Men are 100 times less likely to get breast cancer than women, but they are more susceptible after age 60. The prognosis is similar for both sexes.

If you suspect something is not quite right with your breast tissue, get it checked out right away. Usually the first thing you notice is a lump, or an area of thickening that wasn't present in your breast before. Usually a lump is painless and nonmalignant.

Some of the other symptoms to look for are:

Nipple becomes retracted or indented
Clear or bloody discharge coming from nipple
Breast tissue puckers or becomes dimpled
Breast tissue or nipple becomes red or scaly

It is thought that male breast cancer is inherited. It isn't fully known what triggers breast cancer in men. There is a defect within the genes that is passed down from generation to generation in about 10 percent of the men who develop breast cancer. The remaining patients who develop breast cancer may develop the gene mutation during their lifetime, and it was not passed down to them. They could have acquired the gene mutation through radiation while getting a chest X-ray in childhood or any time in life. There may be other factors that are unknown that could explain the presence of male breast cancer.

There is no telling really which man will develop breast cancer. Certain risk factors you cannot do anything about. You can't change your age or your sex or your family history, but you can change some other factors in your life. If you smoke, you can stop. If your diet is poor, you can start eating a good healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Because you have a family history of breast cancer does not automatically mean you are going to get it.

Breast cancer in men most commonly presents some time after 60. The average age is 67. Studies are up in the air about the odds of family history related to male breast cancer. Approximately 1 in 5 men diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of the disease. Because you may have a mother or sister who has or had breast cancer does not necessarily mean you will get it. However there is a chance you will develop male breast cancer.

There is a condition known as Klinefelter's syndrome that is congenital-which means it is present at birth. Klinefelter's syndrome is an abnormality of the sex hormones. This condition causes the man to have fewer male hormones and more female hormones. As a result he grows male breasts called gynecomastia. Men with gynecomastia are more likely to develop breast cancer.

Some men who have had estrogen therapy for prostate cancer may be at slight risk for developing breast cancer. And men who are undergoing a sex change who are taking estrogen are also at risk. Obesity in men increases the risk of cancer, because the excess weight increases the concentration of fat in the body. Fat cells in men convert the male hormones into female hormones, which increase the risk for breast cancer.

Breast cancer is quite rare in men, and most lumps are not caused by cancer, but as a result of gynecomastia. If you do develop symptoms you should see your doctor for an evaluation. Your doctor will conduct a clinical breast exam to check for lumps, check lymph nodes, and get an over all feel of the breast tissue and the muscle underneath. To further examine the patient a mammogram might be indicated if the patient has a family history of breast cancer and signs and symptoms are present. The doctor may order an ultrasound to examine the structures of the breast. If there is a discharge oozing from the nipple, a sample will be taken to be studied for cancer cells. A biopsy of breast tissue may be obtained by needle aspiration and studied, by a pathologist, for cancer cells. If a diagnosis of cancer is made, the doctor will have to stage the cancer.

Staging determines the size and location of the cancer and if it has spread to other areas:

Stage 0 cancer: is noninvasive. It is also called cancer in situ, meaning that it is localized. It is important to have these cancers removed so that they don't later become invasive.

Stage I through IV cancers: These are invasive tumors. The higher the stage numbers the least chance of a cure. In stage IV the cancer has spread to the internal organs such as the lungs and or liver and bones. Stage IV breast cancer is usually not curable, but radiation and or chemotherapy may stop it from spreading.

If you are a male and your mother or sister had breast cancer, a blood test can identify the BRCA gene-the cancer gene-it is also important to know that the presence of this gene does not mean that you definitely will develop cancer. This test is mainly helpful to determine you do have some risk, and that you can make choices to modify your lifestyle to decrease your chances of developing breast cancer.

If you do develop breast cancer, it will be treated similarly as it is with women. A simple mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy are two forms of surgery that might be decided on. In women care would be taken to save as much breast tissue as possible, but with men that isn't an issue because there is so much less tissue in the male breast.

Male breast cancer may not be able to be prevented, however you can reduce your risk by avoiding frequent use of alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables. If you see changes in your breast tissue see your doctor to be examined. If you have male breast cancer, get all the information you can so that you can make the best choice of treatment for yourself.

It may be difficult to tell people you have cancer. Telling your family and friends may be the hardest thing you have to do, but these people can be the support system you need. Your friends and family can give you the strength that you can draw on when you don't have it within yourself to go on. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Many people are willing to help, but don't want to intrude. They are waiting for you to ask.

Source: Mayo Clinic information page