breast cancer in men
| Men have a small amount of ductal breast tissue lying behind the nipple. It is possible for a breast cancer to develop in this tissue. Male breast cancer is very uncommon and only 1% of breast cancers occur in men. It is usually seen in men over the age of 60. Treatment of breast cancer is the same as it is in women. Surgery is used to remove the cancer and the lymph nodes under the arm. Because men have much less breast tissue, all of it is removed at surgery (mastectomy). Other treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy are also effective for men with breast cancer. They are used in the same way in both men and women. Although breast cancer is rare in men, it is important for men to be aware of the possibility. The symptoms to look out for is a lump lying to one side of the breast disk (a lump directly behind the nipple is usually not a cancer). Occasionally, skin puckering or nipple changes may be seen.
Some men are at higher than average risk or breast cancer. These are men who have a family history, have had radiation treatment or who have Klinefelter’s syndrome.
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