You may think that men don’t have breasts, so how do they get breast cancer? The fact is, boys and girls, men and women all have breast tissue. Various hormones in the girls’ and women’s bodies stimulate the breast tissue to develop into full breasts. Boy’s and men’s bodies usually don’t produce a lot of breast-stimulating hormones. As a result, their breast tissue usually remains small and flat. Even you might have seen boys and men with medium or large breasts. Men may often grow real breast tissue because they take certain medicines or have irregular hormone levels.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer occurs mostly in women, but men may get it, too. Many people don’t know that men have breast tissue and that they may grow breast cancer. Cells in almost every part of the body can become cancer and spread to other areas.
Breast cancer begins when the breast cells start to develop out of control. These cells usually form a tumor that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt like a lump. The tumor is malignant (cancer) if the cells can develop into (invade) surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body.
Statistics and Survival Rate
According to the American Cancer Society, the average probability of living five years or more after diagnosis is as follows:
- 96% when cancer only affects breast tissue at diagnosis;
- 83% as it affects both the nearby areas and the breast;
- 23% when spread to other areas of the body
What Causes Breast Cancer in Men?
The exact causes of breast cancer in men are not well known, but certain things raise the risk. The Male Breast Cancer Research is looking at what may cause breast cancer in men. Some contributing factors are given below:
Age: Most men who have breast cancer are over 60, although younger men may be affected.
High estrogen level: There is some evidence that men are at higher risk if they have estrogen levels higher than normal.
Radiation: Men with previous chest radiotherapy, such as Hodgkin lymphoma, may have a slightly higher chance of developing breast cancer.
Family history: A small number of men have a substantial history of breast cancer in their families. This may be because they have inherited an altered gene that raises the risk of breast cancer. The most commonly changed genes are called BRCA1 and BRCA2. BRCA2 is most widely associated with breast cancer in males.
Symptoms
Symptoms of breast cancer in men include:
- A lump or a thickened patch of tissue. This is most commonly painless and positioned next to, or behind, the nipple.
- Changes in skin, such as puckering or dimpling, redness or ulceration, or any change in breast shape.
- Changes in the nipple, such as a newly indrawn or distorted nipple, or itchy, scaly, or ulcerated nipple tissue.
- Liquid discharge of the nipple. This may be transparent or blood-stained.
- Rare breast pain or tenderness.
- The painless lump in the armpit.
How Breast Cancer Spreads
Breast cancer can spread when cancer cells enter the blood or lymph system and migrate to other parts of the body.
The lymph system is a network of lymphatic (or lymphatic) vessels found in the body. Lymph vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Lymph includes tissue fluids and waste products and immune system cells. Breast cancer cells may invade the lymph node and begin to develop in the lymph node. If cancer cells have spread to your lymph nodes, there is a greater risk that the cells will also have traveled through the lymph system and spread (metastasized) to other areas of your body.
Diagnosis of Breast Cancer in Men
If there is a risk that you will have breast cancer, the doctor will want to have a full personal and family medical background. If you have signs or symptoms that may involve breast cancer or other breast diseases, your doctor can prescribe one or more of the following imaging tests.
Diagnostic mammogram: A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray breast test that enables doctors called radiologists to check for breast tissue changes.
Nipple discharge test: Fluid flowing out of the nipple is called the discharge of the nipple. It could look clear, cloudy, or bloody. If you have nipple discharge, it should be tested by your doctor.
Breast Biopsy: If other tests indicate that you may have breast cancer, you may need a biopsy.
Breast ultrasound: Breast ultrasound is also used to investigate some forms of breast changes. Ultrasound can also be used in someone with a breast tumor to determine whether the lymph nodes under the arm are swollen.
Treatments of Male Breast Cancer
Treatments for both men and women are usually the same. Many males benefit from a variety of different treatments, such as:
Chemotherapy: Through this treatment, you will be given drugs — whether taken by mouth or by injection — to attack cancer cells. After surgery, you can have chemotherapy to lower the risk of cancer returning. Chemotherapy can be the primary treatment for men with advanced cancer or cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.
Radiation Therapy: You can be treated with radioactive rays or particles after surgery. It will help to destroy any cancer cells that have been missed during surgery. Radiation can be the primary treatment if the cancer is inoperative.
Surgery: Typical treatment for men is a mastectomy, in which the whole breast is removed. Breast-preserving surgery – in which only the tumor is removed – is often done. Sometimes, a surgeon also removes one or more lymph nodes to see if cancer has spread.
Targeted Therapy: Some men have an excess protein (HER2) that allows cancer to spread rapidly. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is one of the drugs approved for breast cancer treatment that has spread to other parts of the body. This protein inhibits the development of cancer cells. It can also strengthen the immune system, giving it more power to combat cancer.
Hormone therapy: Some forms of breast cancer need particular hormones to develop. This therapy prevents the effects of these hormones and inhibits the development of these hormones. It is also more effective in men than in women because more men — about 90%—have hormone receptor-positive cancer. Tamoxifen is the prescribed hormone treatment for male breast cancer.
Follow-up Care
And after you’ve finished breast cancer treatment, your doctors will continue to watch you closely. It is essential to go to all of your follow-up appointments. Your doctors will inquire if you have any issues during these sessions. They can conduct lab tests or imaging tests to check for signs of cancer or treatment side effects.
Ask Your Doctor for A Survivorship Care Plan
Speak to your doctor about developing a strategy for your survival. This strategy could include:
- A suggested schedule for follow-up exams and tests
- A schedule for other tests that might be required in the future, such as early detection (screening) tests for other forms of cancer, or tests to check for long-term cancer health effects of treatment.
- Ask your doctor for a list of possible late or long-term side effects of your procedure, including what to look for and when you should contact your doctor.
Almost any cancer treatment can have side effects. These may only last for a few days or weeks, but others may last a long time. Some side effects may not turn up until years after you have completed the treatment. Your doctor’s appointments are a good time for you to ask questions and chat about any improvements or issues you notice or worry about. However, if you have new questions about your cancer, you don’t have to wait for your next scheduled appointment. You should call the doctor immediately.
