A look at breast cancer in men
Breast cancer isn’t just found in women. Men can also get breast cancer because the tissues between a man’s breast and a woman’s breast are identical. A woman just has more. Fortunately for men, it only makes up 1% of the total cases of breast cancer found each year. Another fortunate thing for men is that it is usually only found in men that are around sixty to seventy years old. Although it is unlikely for a man to get breast cancer, men have breast tissue that can undergo cancerous changes. Because of this, it is extremely important that a man go to the doctor if there are any changes to his breast tissue. A man may think nothing of it until it becomes too late.
A few common symptoms of breast cancer in men are: a lump or swelling in the chest, dimpled skin, an inverted nipple, scaling or redness of the breast, and discharge from the nipple. These are some symptoms that doctors have found that male patients with breast cancer have. If any of these are symptoms found, it is important that a visit to the doctor takes place in an effort to try and catch the cancer before it becomes too big. Since it is such a small number, there are no real tests for men for breast cancer. Women get constant mammograms; however, men don’t need that because the number is so small. Because of this, self screening is the biggest method of diagnosing it.
The one thing, though, about male breast lumps is that they’re not usually caused by cancer. They’re actually caused by gynecomastia which is a male breast disorder (the worst) that actually increases the amount of breast tissue a man has. So technically speaking, gynecomastia increases the amount of breast a man has. Although this is a big cause of the lumps that men may find in their breast, if there is any lump found, it is highly recommended that a visit to the doctor be made. The saying is simple: better safe than sorry.
Since the tissue of the man and woman are the exact same thing, treatments are relatively similar. If the tumor is not that bad, a surgery can take place to successfully remove it. However, if it is bad, a mastectomy could take place which would result in a complete removal of the man’s breast. On top of this, if a man needs chemotherapy, he can get it because it will attack the cancer in his breast. Treatments are one in the same. Although men do not get it nearly as often as women, it is important, simply because of that 1%, to make sure that personal screenings happen. Just check your chest and feel for any lumps. If a lump is found, contact the doctor and set up an appointment. A medical professional will then be able to give the proper advice. That is the sure way to ensure that the cancer, if it is cancer, does not get out of control.