Breast Cancer in Men: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment!
Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Geetanjali Gupta
Written By Muskan Taneja
on Dec 5, 2024
Last Edit Made By Muskan Taneja
on Dec 5, 2024
Breast cancer is common among women. However, it can affect men too. World Health Organization says 0.5 to 1% found breast cancer in men.
You may wonder if breast cancer in men and women is the same. What causes breast cancer in men? How do you identify breast cancer? Today, you will get all your answers.
October is the month for breast cancer awareness. But, have you ever wondered, during the month, people prioritize women's health, or else breast cancer can occur in men as well? So, let’s begin and understand everything about breast cancer in men.
What is Breast Cancer in Men?
Male breast cancer is a rare disease. Cancer cells form in the breast tissues in the chest. Men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) don’t have breasts that produce milk; they have breast cells, ducts, and fatty tissues that can become cancerous. Cancer develops because of discomfort in cells, forming a tumor.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorized two kinds of breast cancer in men, which are invasive ductal carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: In invasive ductal carcinoma, cancer cells form in the ducts, grow outside the duct, and spread into other parts of the breast tissues. These invasive breast cancer cells can spread or metastasize to other body parts.
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS): DCIS is a breast infection that eventually leads to invasive breast cancer. They are only present in the linings of the ducts and spread to other tissues in the breast.
These two are the most common types. Inflammatory breast cancer, lobular breast cancer, and Paget's disease of the breast are some rare types of male breast cancer.
Reports say breast cancer can affect 1% of men. While the number might appear small, it converts to thousands of men worldwide. CDC reported that 1 in every 100 breast cancer cases is found in men.
Also, read https://redcliffelabs.com/myhealth/cancer/dos-and-donts-for-breast-cancer-recovery/
What are the Breast Cancer in Men Symptoms?
Any physical change in the breast tissues is the first sign of breast cancer in men. Other symptoms include:
- Painless lump behind the nipple, armpit, or breast tissue
- Pitted or dimpled skin on the chest
- Scaly, red, or flaky skin on the chest or around the nipple
- Pain or tenderness in your underarm or chest
- Bloody nipple discharge or an inverted nipple.
These symptoms can also occur because of any other medical condition. If you see these signs, seek medical help instantly. Detecting, diagnosing, and treating early signs can prevent breast cancer complications.
What Are The Causes of Breast Cancer in Men?
The exact cause of breast cancer in men is unclear. However, studies and research give different reasons.
Breast cancer in men happens because of changes in your cell’s DNA. It gives out commands on what to do.
Studies have observed that a healthy breast cell receives instructions to multiply and die at a set time. In a cancerous cell, the DNA gives the opposite information. It gives out information to form more cancerous cells, and eventually, healthy cells die.
Experts term this mass formation of cancerous cells as a tumor. Timely detection, management, and treatment can prevent the spread of tumors. Otherwise, it can grow, destroy healthy body tissues, and spread to other body parts. This is called metastatic cancer.
What Are The Risk Factors of Breast Cancer in Men?
Breast cancer in men is rare and probably affects older men. However, there are numerous risk factors for breast cancer in men.
- Family History: If your parent, sibling, or child has or has breast cancer, you are at greater risk. Get yourself tested as soon as possible.
- Genes: Mutations in genes can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. A common gene mutation with breast cancer in men is Cowden syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, BRCA gene (BRCA1 and BRCA2), and Lynch syndrome.
- High Estrogen Levels: A sudden increase in estrogen level can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Obesity and Klinefelter syndrome (a genetic disorder) can increase estrogen levels.
- Certain Medications: Medical drugs are not fully secure, especially estrogen-containing medications. They can increase the risk of breast cancer in men. Studies found that men, transgender women, and assigned males at birth (AMAB) who received hormone therapy are at risk of developing breast cancer.
- Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy is given directly to your chest or torso, which is a leading risk factor for breast cancer in men.
- Testicular Issues: If you have an injury, infection, orchiectomy (testicle removal surgery), there is a high chance of developing breast cancer.
How To Diagnose Breast Cancer in Men?
Before diagnosing breast cancer, your doctor will consider symptoms, risk factors, causes, medical history, and family history. They will perform various tests for diagnosis.
A doctor looks for proteins called receptors. These proteins include the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR), and the HER2/neu receptor. These receptors explain the cause of cancerous cells.
Breast examination is the first step to diagnose breast cancer in men or women. Your doctor will examine your breast tissues, skin mutations, lumps, or other abnormalities.
Imaging tests like mammograms can easily detect male breast cancers. A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray that provides images of breast tissues. Alongside, your doctor might perform an ultrasound.
Your healthcare provider performs a biopsy to look for breast cancer cells in your breast tissues. Your healthcare provider will remove tissues from the tumor and send it to the lab for testing. Lab testing allows your doctor to diagnose cancer and plan an effective treatment that can work on cancerous cells.
After diagnosis, the tumor is classified according to stage, which is determined by looking at its size and spread. For effective classification, a PET scan, CT scan, or sentinel node biopsy might be performed.
Breast cancer in men can be at stages 0,1,2.3, or 4. Stage 0 is the initial stage where breast cancer is curable. While stage 4 is a bit critical, in this case, the cancer has already spread to several parts of the body, including bones, lungs, brain, or liver.
Treatment for Breast Cancer in Men
Breast cancer treatment depends on the cancerous cell's size, infection, and spread. Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy are some treatments that your doctor performs for treating breast cancer. The treatment is the same for men and women.
Key Takeaways
Breast cancer in men is rare, mainly in older people. However, it can affect any age. By monitoring early signs and risk factors, you can prevent breast cancer. Early detection has a 95% survival rate in breast cancer in men. However, when cancerous cells spread to the chest, the survival rate can drop to 19%.
Take care of your health and take the breast cancer test from Redcliffe Labs today. The test helps find breast cancer at an early stage and makes it easier to treat. If you have a family or medical history or see symptoms, book the test and prevent severe complications.
