The cause of breast cancer is the same in men and women. It is the result of an uncontrolled growth of cells within the breast tissue. Environmental influences and genetic factors are likely to play a role in the development. It is most common for men to develop breast cancer between the ages of 60 and 70. Male breast cancer is a rare condition with only one percent of breast cancers being diagnosed in men.
The signs and symptoms of male breast cancer include a lump or swelling, skin dimpling or puckering, nipple retraction, redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin, discharge from the nipple, nipple pain and enlarged lymph nodes under the arm. Studies show that the average amount of time between the first symptom and the actual diagnosis is usually over one year. This is most likely due to not expecting breast cancer in men.
The diagnosis process of male breast cancer begins after an abnormality is found in the breast. Tests are begun to find out if it is cancer. These tests include a mammogram, an ultrasound, nipple discharge examination and a biopsy.
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. Two pictures are taken of the breast after it is squeezed between two glass plates. One of the images is shot from the top and the second is taken from the side. The radiologist will see if anything looks abnormal. Then they decide whether or not to get pictures of certain areas. These pictures are called spot or magnification views. The mammogram is the most common and effective screening device for the early detection of breast cancer.
Sometimes a mammogram, for whatever reason, will not detect a lump or other abnormality. When this happens an ultrasound may be recommended. An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create detailed computer images of breast tissue. This allows the doctor to differentiate between cysts and solid masses in order to determine the size, shape, texture and density of a breast lump.
The nipple discharge examination is performed if any discharge is present. The doctor collects a sample of the discharge and examines it under a microscope to see if any cancer cells are present. Nipple secretions are usually not cancerous. Red or brown discharge could indicate blood, which could be caused by cancer, but most likely it is due to an infection or benign tumor. Discharge that doesn’t contain cancerous cells does not mean cancer is not present.
The next test would be a biopsy. This is a procedure in which all or part of a suspicious breast growth is removed and examined.
There are four different types of male breast cancer. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is a cancer that has spread beyond the cells lining ducts in the breast. Most men who have breast cancer have this type. Ductal carcinoma in situ occurs when abnormal cells are found in the lining of the duct. Inflammatory breast cancer is a type of cancer that causes the breast to look red, swollen and to feel warm. Paget’s disease of the nipple is a tumor that has grown from the ducts below the nipple onto the surface of the nipple.
The risk factors include radiation exposure, high levels of estrogen and a family history of breast cancer, whether it is in men or women. Other risk factors include having Klinefelter’s syndrome and cirrhosis of the liver.
Breast cancer is one hundred times more common in women than in men. According to the American Cancer Society only .22% of men cancer deaths are from breast cancer. Recent studies also show that the breast cancer survival rate is on the rise because of better awareness and better treatments.
