Breast Cancer in Men: Everything You Need to Know

Breast cancer is often thought of as a woman’s disease, but men can also be affected. In fact, breast cancer affects about 2,000 men each year in the United States. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), about 1% of all breast cancer cases are diagnosed in men.

So, what should men know about this type of cancer? That may seem like a small number compared to the more than 250,000 women diagnosed each year, but it is important for everyone male and female alike, to be aware of the risk factors and signs of breast cancer.

Signs & Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of breast cancer in men are similar to those found in women and include lumps or thickening in the chest area; changes to the skin such as redness or scaling; nipple retraction (turning inward); nipple discharge; swelling under the arm; and pain or tenderness ((NBCF). If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important that you speak with your doctor right away.

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Risk Factors & Diagnosis
The risk factors for breast cancer in men are largely the same as those for women. These include age (men over 50 have an increased risk).

Other risk factors include a family history of breast cancer (father or brother); an inherited genetic mutation such as BRCA2 (which is also associated with ovarian and prostate cancer); long-term exposure to radiation therapy; certain medical conditions such as cirrhosis and Klinefelter Syndrome (which causes abnormal development); obesity; heavy alcohol use; testosterone deficiency due to aging or other reasons. It is important to note that most men who develop breast cancer do not have any known risk factors (NBCF).

A diagnosis typically involves a physical exam followed by imaging tests such as mammography or ultrasound. If any suspicious areas are detected during imaging tests, your doctor may recommend a biopsy to confirm whether there is cancer present.

Treatments & Outlook
The treatment options for male breast cancer are similar to those for female breast cancer and include surgery (such as mastectomy or lumpectomy) radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy (NBCF).

The outlook for someone with male breast cancer depends on several factors including the stage at diagnosis, type of tumor cells present, treatment plan chosen by the patient/doctor team, etc., so it is important that you speak with your doctor about what options make sense for you personally.

While male breast cancers comprise only 1% of all cases diagnosed each year worldwide, they still occur at an alarming rate — approximately 2 out of every 100 people diagnosed with breast cancer are men (NBCF)! Therefore, it is important that everyone take steps to reduce their risk by maintaining a healthy weight; limiting alcohol consumption; avoiding exposure to radiation; and speaking with their doctors about their family history.

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Risk factors vary between individuals but some common ones exist such as family history and certain medical conditions like cirrhosis so it’s important to assess your own risk level based on those criteria too if you feel like you might be at higher risk than the average population.

With proper care provided by knowledgeable healthcare providers combined with lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking or exercising more regularly good outcomes are achievable even in advanced stages so don’t hesitate to seek medical attention if anything suspicious arises!

Additionally, if any signs and or symptoms arise it is important that they schedule an appointment with their doctor right away so that they can get access to early detection methods which will greatly improve their chances at long-term survival rates!