Male breast cancer is very rare, and it generally occurs among men who are between 60 to 70 years of age. Some reasons that could cause male breast cancer include family history of breast cancer, radiation exposure and having higher levels of estrogen than is average for men. Many people believe that breast cancer can only happen to women, but that is not true since men also have tissue that can deal with cancerous changes.
Symptoms
The most common sign of male breast cancer is a thickening or a lump occurring in the breast. Other very common symptoms of male breast cancer are nipple indentations, skin puckering or dimpling, new retractions on the breast, redness or scaling in the nipple area or skin around the breast, and nipple discharge.
Causes
Some common causes and risk factors for male breast cancer are radiation exposure, having high levels of estrogen (also called hyperestrogenism), Klinefelter's Syndrome (men who have inherited an extra X chromosome; this occurs in approximately 1 per 1000 men), liver cirrhosis (scarring), and genetics.
Types
There are several different types of male breast cancer. The most common male breast cancer is infiltrating ductal carcinoma (also common in women dealing with breast cancer). This is a cancer that begins in the breast ducts. Infiltrating means that the cancer has spread beyond the breast ducts into the tissue surrounding them. Other male breast cancer types are lobular cancer (milk gland cancer that is rare in men since most men don't have lobules in their breast tissue), ductal carcinoma in situ (cancer in the breast ducts that have not spread), cystosarcoma phylloides (connective tissue cancer surrounding the ducts), and breast Paget's Disease (nipple skin cancer).
Diagnosis
Men usually don't get routine mammograms as male breast cancer is an extremely rare condition. However, men who have a very strong history of breast cancer should consult their doctor about possible breast screenings. Men can undergo a mammogram, clinical breast exam, ultrasonography (breast ultrasound), nipple charge examination, fine needle aspiration biopsy, core needle biopsy, traditional biopsy, surgical biopsy, progesterone and estrogen receptor test, and HER2 testing. All of these testing methods could determine whether or not a lump in a man's breast is cancerous.
Treatment
As with female breast cancer, male breast cancer treatment depends on the patient's overall health as well as the severity of the cancer. The treatments are the same for male breast cancer as they are for female breast cancer. Men are generally initially treated by surgery (modified radical masectomy) to remove the breast or lining over the chest muscles. Other treatments are chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy.
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