What You Need To Know About Breast Cancer In Men

Breast cancer occurs mainly in women, but men can get it too. Many people do not realize that men have breast tissue and that they can develop breast cancer. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer and can spread to other areas.
Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. These cells usually form a tumor that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump. The tumor is malignant if the cells can grow into surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.
Breast Cancer In Men Is Rare
Only one in 1,000 men will develop breast cancer in his lifetime. An estimated 40,290 women die from breast cancer which equates just 460 in men who would die from it. The three most common cancers among men are prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer, according to the CDC, while breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.

Lumps Are Also A Symptom Of Breast Cancer In Men
Men may feel a lump in their breast when diagnosed with breast cancer, just like in women. It usually forms a lot of times behind the areola.
For men, a lump or hard mass is the most obvious sign, while breast cancer in women is often found during a routine mammogram or breast screening.
Family history is a major cause for male breast cancer
Like women, men are more likely to have breast cancer if a close family member also has or had the disease. Around one in five men diagnosed has breast cancer in his family, according to the American Cancer Society.
Other risk factors for breast cancer in men include obesity and a rare genetic condition called Klinefelter syndrome.
Men Are Diagnosed With Breast Cancer At More Advanced Stages
Since men don’t get mammograms on the regular, this means Breast cancer in men may already have progressed to a later stage. And a delayed diagnosis can make breast cancer more difficult to treat. More invasive approaches may be required, like a mastectomy or chemotherapy.
 
Treatment Options Are Readily Available
Men with breast cancer have a variety of treatment options, depending on the stage of their disease, including radiation, chemotherapy, mastectomy, and hormone therapy.
Unlike women, men have only one option for breast cancer surgery.
Many women, on the other hand, can elect to have a lumpectomy, which preserves much of their breast tissue but men can’t.
breast cancer
Photo Credit: Getty

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