Description

Male breast cancer is a rare form of cancer that begins as a growth of the cells in the breast tissue in men.

Breast cancer is usually thought of as a condition that occurs in women. But everyone is born with some breast tissue. So any person can get breast cancer.

Male breast cancer is rare. It is more common in older men, though it can occur at any age.

Treatment for male breast cancer usually involves surgery to remove the breast tissue. Other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be recommended as well.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of male breast cancer may include:

  • A painful lump or thickening of the skin on the chest.
  • Changes in the skin covering the breast, such as dimpling, wrinkling, peeling or changes in the color of the skin.
  • Changes in the nipple, such as changes in the color of the skin or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.
  • Discharge or bleeding from the nipple.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have symptoms that concern you.

Causes

It is not clear what causes male breast cancer.

Male breast cancer starts when cells in the breast tissue to develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA contains the instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. The instructions that tell cells to die at a set time.

In cancer cells, changes in DNA to give different instructions. The changes, to tell the cancer cells to make many more cells quickly. Cancer cells can continue living when healthy cells would die. This makes too many cells.

The cancer cells may form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. At the time, cancer cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it is called metastatic cancer.

Where breast cancer starts in the men

Everyone is born with a small amount of breast tissue. The tissue of the breast consists of milk-producing glands, the ducts that carry milk to the nipples and fat.

During puberty, the people assigned female at birth will usually begin to grow more breast tissue. The people who are assigned male at birth generally do not grow more breast tissue. But because everyone is born with a small amount of tissue from the breast, breast cancer can develop in any person.

Types of breast cancer in men include:

  • The cancer that begins in the milk ducts, called ductal carcinoma. This type of breast cancer starts in the ducts that connect to the nipple. These tubes called ducts. Ductal carcinoma is the most common type of male breast cancer.
  • The cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands, called lobular carcinoma. This type of cancer starts in the glands that have the potential to produce breast milk. These glands are called lobules. Lobular carcinoma is less common in people who are assigned male at birth, because they tend to have less lobular cells.
  • Other types of cancer. Other, more rare types of breast cancer in men include Paget's disease of the nipple, and the inflammatory breast cancer.

Risk factors

The factors that increase the risk of breast cancer in men include:

  • Advanced age. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Male breast cancer is diagnosed more often in men of 60 years.
  • Hormone therapy for prostate cancer or estrogen-containing drugs. If you take estrogen-related drugs, such as those used for hormone therapy for prostate cancer, the risk of breast cancer increases.
  • Family history of breast cancer. If you have a blood relative with breast cancer, you have a higher chance of contracting the disease.
  • Inherited changes in the DNA that increase the risk of breast cancer. Some of the changes in DNA that may lead to breast cancer that is transmitted from parents to children. People who are born with these changes in the DNA have a higher risk of breast cancer. For example, the changes in the DNA in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase the risk of male breast cancer.
  • Klinefelter's syndrome. This genetic syndrome occurs when males are born with more than one copy of the x chromosome. Klinefelter's syndrome affects the development of the testicles. Causes changes in the balance of hormones in the body, which can increase the risk of male breast cancer.
  • Disease of the liver. Certain conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver, can change the balance of hormones in the body. This increases the risk of male breast cancer.
  • Obesity. Obesity is linked with higher levels of estrogen in the body. This increases the risk of male breast cancer.
  • Testicular disease or surgery. Have inflamed testicles, called orchitis, or surgery to remove the testicle, called orchiectomy, may increase the risk of male breast cancer.

Prevention

To the majority of men do not there is no way to prevent cancer of the male breast. For those who have a higher risk of cancer, there may be ways to decrease the risk.

  • If breast cancer runs in your family.Certain changes in DNA are linked to breast cancer. If these changes in the DNA in your family, you may have an increased risk of breast cancer. The changes in DNA that increase the risk of male breast cancer include BRCA1 and BRCA2. If you know that a relative of blood leads to changes in DNA linked to breast cancer, tell your doctor or other health care professional. Together, you can decide whether you should submit to genetic testing to see if they lead to changes in the DNA. If you carry a change of DNA that increase your risk, you may need to have breast cancer. Usually this involves becoming familiar with the skin and the tissue in the chest. Tell your health care professional if you notice any changes. You could also have an annual review of your chest.
  • If you are a man transgender.If you have not had gender-affirming surgery in the chest, talk with your doctor or other health care provider about breast cancer screening. In general, follow the screening guidelines for people assigned female at birth. If you've had sex affirmation surgery to his chest, the breast cancer is still possible, although it is rare. Often a small amount of breast tissue remaining after surgery. To know the look and feel of the skin in the chest. Report any changes in your health care team right away.

If breast cancer runs in your family. Certain changes in DNA are linked to breast cancer. If these changes in the DNA in your family, you may have an increased risk of breast cancer. The changes in DNA that increase the risk of male breast cancer include BRCA1 and BRCA2.

If you know that a relative of blood leads to changes in DNA linked to breast cancer, tell your doctor or other health care professional. Together, you can decide whether you should submit to genetic testing to see if they lead to changes in the DNA.

If you carry a change of DNA that increase your risk, you may need to have breast cancer. Usually this involves becoming familiar with the skin and the tissue in the chest. Tell your health care professional if you notice any changes. You could also have an annual review of your chest.

If you are a man transgender. If you have not had gender-affirming surgery in the chest, talk with your doctor or other health care provider about breast cancer screening. In general, follow the screening guidelines for people assigned female at birth.

If you've had sex affirmation surgery to his chest, the breast cancer is still possible, although it is rare. Often a small amount of breast tissue remaining after surgery. To know the look and feel of the skin in the chest. Report any changes in your health care team right away.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of breast cancer in men

Tests and procedures for diagnosing male breast cancer may include:

  • Clinical examination of the breast. During this exam, the health care professional feels the breasts and surrounding areas for lumps or other changes. This test helps healthcare professionals to understand how the large, the packages are, how they feel, and how close they are to the skin and muscles.
  • Imaging tests. Imaging tests may create images of the breast tissue for signs of cancer. The tests may include an x-ray of the breast, is called a mammogram, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging.
  • Removing a sample of breast cells for testing, which is called a biopsy.To determine if you have cancer, you may have a procedure to remove a sample of cells for laboratory analysis. This procedure is called a biopsy. To obtain the sample, a health care professional inserts a needle through the skin in the chest. The health care professional guides on the needle by using a mammogram or other imaging test. In the laboratory, specialists examine the cells under a microscope to see if they are of cancer. Other tests can show if the cancer cells have hormone receptors or certain changes in the DNA. The results of the test help your health care team create a treatment plan.

Removing a sample of breast cells for testing, which is called a biopsy. To determine if you have cancer, you may have a procedure to remove a sample of cells for laboratory analysis. This procedure is called a biopsy. To obtain the sample, a health care professional inserts a needle through the skin in the chest. The health care professional guides on the needle by using a mammogram or other imaging test.

In the laboratory, specialists examine the cells under a microscope to see if they are of cancer. Other tests can show if the cancer cells have hormone receptors or certain changes in the DNA. The results of the test help your health care team create a treatment plan.

There are other tests and procedures depending on your situation.

Cancer staging

After confirming a diagnosis of breast cancer, the healthcare team works to find the extent of your cancer. This is called the stage of the cancer. Your healthcare team uses the stage of the cancer to understand their prognosis and to make a treatment plan.

Male breast cancer essay often consists in imaging tests. The images can tell your health care team about your cancer, the size and whether it has spread. Tests may include:

  • Bone scan.
  • Computed tomography.
  • Positron emission tomography (PET).

The results of the laboratory tests in cancer cells also help determine the stage of the cancer. The tests may show that the cancer grade. This tells your health care team how quickly the cancer is growing. Your healthcare team will also consider whether the cancer cells have receptors. Tests can look for the receptors of estrogen, progesterone and HER2.

The results of these tests are used to assign the cancer a stage. Breast cancer stages range from 0 to 4. Stage 0 means the cancer is very small. In this stage, cancer is found in the interior of the ducts of the milk. It has not erupted in the breast tissue. Doctors sometimes call this noninvasive cancer.

As the cancer grows and invades the tissue of the breast, the stages get more. Stage 4 breast cancer means that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.

Treatment

Male breast cancer treatment usually begins with surgery. Other common treatments include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiation therapy. To create a treatment plan, your health care team looks at your stage of the cancer, your overall health and what you prefer.

Surgery

The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer and some healthy tissue around it. Operations is used to treat breast cancer in men include:

  • The removal of all breast tissue, called a mastectomy. A mastectomy involves the removal of all the tissue in the breast of one of the sides of your chest. This includes removing the nipple and the skin around it, called the areola. This is the most common type of surgery for cancer of the male breast.
  • Remove the cancer and some healthy tissue, called a lumpectomy. A lumpectomy involves removing the cancer and some healthy tissue around it. The rest of the breast tissue is not removed. Doctors sometimes call this breast-conserving surgery. Often, radiation therapy is recommended after lumpectomy.
  • Removing a couple of lymph nodes for testing, it is called a sentinel lymph node biopsy.The surgeon removes the lymph nodes most likely to be the first place cancer cells spread. Those few lymph nodes, so-called sentinel lymph nodes, are sent to a lab for analysis. If there are no cancer cells, there is a good chance that your breast cancer has not spread beyond your breast tissue. If cancer is found, more lymph nodes of the test.

Removing a couple of lymph nodes for testing, it is called a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The surgeon removes the lymph nodes most likely to be the first place cancer cells spread. Those few lymph nodes, so-called sentinel lymph nodes, are sent to a lab for analysis.

If there are no cancer cells, there is a good chance that your breast cancer has not spread beyond your breast tissue. If cancer is found, more lymph nodes of the test.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you. The machine directs radiation to precise points on your body.

In male breast cancer, radiation therapy may be used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may be left behind. The radiation is often aimed at the chest and armpit.

Hormone therapy

The majority of breast cancers have cells that depend on hormones to grow, the so-called hormone-sensitive. If your cancer is hormone-sensitive, hormone therapy may be an option. Hormone therapy can keep the cancer from coming back after surgery. If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, the hormonal therapy can help slow its growth.

Hormonal therapy for male breast cancer often involves the medicine tamoxifen. Other medicines for hormone therapy may be an option if you can't take tamoxifen.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer cells. These medications are often given through a vein. Some chemotherapy drugs are available in pill form.

Chemotherapy may be used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the body. Chemotherapy may also be an option to treat the cancer that spreads to other parts of the body.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy uses drugs that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells. By blocking these chemicals, specific treatments can cause cancer cells to die. Targeted therapy may be used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the body. It could also be an option if the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

Coping and support

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be shocking. With time, you will find ways to cope with stress and the challenges of cancer and its treatment. Until then, you might find it helpful to keep in mind:

  • To speak with someone. You can feel comfortable talking about your feelings with a friend or family member. Or you may prefer formal meeting with a support group. Support groups for families of cancer survivors are also available.
  • Prayer or meditation. You can pray or meditate on your own. Or you can have a spiritual advisor or an instructor guide.
  • Exercise. Gentle exercise can help improve your mood and make you feel better. Ask a member of your health care team about the exercises that you can do.
  • Creative activities. Certain activities, such as art, dance and music, can help you feel less stressed. Some cancer centers have specially trained professionals who can guide you through these activities.
  • The relaxation exercises. Relaxation exercises help refocus your mind and help you relax. Relaxation exercises including guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation. You can do relaxation exercises on your own or with an instructor. You may find it helpful to listen to a recording or watching a video that will guide you through the exercises.

Preparing for your appointment

Start by seeing your doctor or other health care professional if you notice any symptoms that worry you. You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer is called an oncologist.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

Symptoms and treatment of Male breast cancer