Exploring Breast Cancer in Men

Breast cancer in men is rare but not unheard of; it can form in the breast tissue of men. Though breast cancer is more prevalent in women it affects approximately one percent of men. Breast cancer can occur at any age however, it mainly affects older men. Early diagnosis in men can result in a cure. Breast cancer treatment usually involves surgery to remove the breast tissue. Other treatments may be recommended based on each unique case however chemotherapy and radiation therapy are typically a part of the treatment plan.

Some signs and symptoms of male breast cancer can include: a painless lump or thickening in the breast tissue, changes to the skin covering the breast, dimpling, puckering, redness or scaling and changes to the nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward. Another identifying symptom is a discharge from the nipple.

The main cause of breast cancer in men remains unclear nevertheless doctors have noted that male breast cancer occurs when some breast cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do. Hence, the accumulating cells form a tumor that may spread (metastasize) to nearby tissue, to the lymph nodes, or to other parts of the body.

President of the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica (ASJ), Dr. Hugh Roberts shares more about breast cancer in men on Sunrise. Watch it here:

Everyone is born with a small amount of breast tissue. Breast tissue is made up of milk-producing glands (lobules), ducts that carry milk to the nipples, and fat. During puberty, women begin developing more breast tissue, and men do not. However, because men are born with a small amount of breast tissue they can develop breast cancer.

There are different types of breast cancer such as ductal carcinoma (cancer that begins in the milk ducts), lobular carcinoma (cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands) and other rare cancers such as Paget’s disease and inflammatory breast cancer.

Men can also inherit abnormal (mutated) genes from their parents that increase the risk of breast cancer. Mutations in one of several genes, especially a gene called BRCA2, put you at greater risk of developing breast and prostate cancers.

Some factors that put men at risk for breast cancer include old age, (usually in men over 60), exposure to estrogen, family history and Klinefelter’s syndrome (genetic syndrome where boys are born with more than one copy of the X chromosome).

Liver disease, obesity and testicle disease or surgery are also risk factors associated with breast cancer in men.