Male Breast Cancer.

It is common to hear about women developing breast cancer. However, men are susceptible to it also. Although breast cancer can happen at any age, it is more common for older men to develop breast cancer. If it is diagnosed at an early stage of development, there is better chance to cure it.

However, due to the fact that men delay consulting a doctor when they notice any symptoms, the disease is generally in an advanced stage of development by the time it is diagnosed.

The signs of breast cancer for a man may include
1. Thickening or lump in the tissue
around the breast, but there may not be any pain.

2. Dimpling, scaling, puckering or redness of the skin over the breast.

3. Sometimes there may be a discharge from the nipple of the effected breast.

Doctors and scientist have not established any particular cause for breast cancer developing. However, they do know that when some cells in the breast begin to grow abnormally breast cancer generally occurs. The abnormal cells divide
faster and build up to eventually form a tumor which can spread to surrounding tissue, like lymph nodes and possibly other parts of an individual’s body.

The most common male breast cancer is a ductal carcinoma. The majority of male breast cancer
starts within the breast ducts. Due to the fact that men do not have many lobules in the tissue of their breast, it is rare for them to develop lobular carcinomas. What is generally known as Paget’s disease of the nipples, which is crusty and scaly skin that forms around the nipples. It is possible to inherit genes from an individual’s parents that increase the risk of developing male breast cancer. A gene commonly known as BRCA2 generally produces proteins that prevent cells from developing abnormally. However, if these genes are mutated, they do not protect as well as they are supposed to.
There are several things that may increase the risk of men developing breast cancer. Unfortunately age is a risk factor for men in their 60s and 70s. If a man uses drugs associated with estrogen which may be used as part of hormone therapy related to prostate cancer. As with many diseases and medical problems, a family history of breast cancer may increase the risk of developing male breast cancer.

When a boy is born with Klisfslter’s syndrome, they are more likely to develop male breast cancer. Liver disease like cirrhosis, obesity and exposure to radiation are also things which can put a man at a higher risk of male breast cancer.

Tests that may be performed to determine if breast cancer is present may be a clinical breast
exam, mammogram, breast ultrasound and testing for cancer cells in any discharge from the nipples.

There are four stages of the development of breast cancer:

• First: The tumor has not extended and is no larger than 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

• Second: When the tumor is up to two inches in diameter and extended to the lymph nodes. It
may also be larger than two inches but not have any cancer cells in the lymph nodes.

• Third: Lymph nodes located above an individual’s collarbone can possibly have cancer cells in them. It is also possible for the tumor to be bigger than two inches and several nymph nodes may be affected.
• Fourth: The cancer has extended farther from the breast and may be in the brain lungs, bones or in the liver.

Treatments for male breast cancer can be, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted therapy.