What is Breast Cancer in Men?

Breast cancer is a rare disease for men. Although breast cancer affects women more, it can also happen to men. This cancer forms in the breast tissue of men. Although this cancer is seen more in older men, it can affect at any age. Now, why are men prone to breast cancer? So let's say, every person is born with some amount of breast tissue. Breast tissue contains milk-producing glands (lobules) and ducts, which carry milk to the nipple and fat. During puberty, a greater amount of tissue begins to develop in the breasts of women, whereas this does not happen in men. Since men have a small amount of breast tissue in their breasts at birth, they are also at risk of developing breast cancer.

Symptoms of breast cancer in men

The signs and symptoms of breast cancer in men can be:

• lump in breast that is not painful
• Changes in the skin of the upper breast (such as pustules, shrinking, flaky skin, or redness)
• Nipple changes such as nipple turning inward, redness, flaky skin
• Discharge from the nipple (no fluid)
• Causes of breast cancer in men

Doctors are not entirely clear what exactly causes breast cancer in men, but they believe that breast cancer in men occurs when certain breast cells begin to divide more rapidly than healthy cells. Breast cancer can spread when cancer cells reach the bloodstream or lymph system and other parts of the body.

Breast cancer treatment in men

If the symptoms of breast cancer in men are recognized in the early stages, then its treatment is possible. Its treatment usually involves surgery to remove the breast tissue. In some cases, the help of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is taken.

Surgery

Mastectomy: In this, all the breast tissue is removed. Removal of some lymph nodes (a part of the lymphatic system) for testing. In this, the doctor identifies the lymph nodes from which cancer cells are most likely to spread. These lymph nodes are removed and examined. If no cancer cells are found, it means that the breast cancer has not spread beyond the person's breast tissue. If cancer cells are found, more lymph nodes are removed for testing.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high energy beams such as X-rays and protons to kill cancer cells. In the case of breast cancer in men, radiation therapy may be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells in the breast, chest muscles or armpits.

Hormone therapy

In most cases of breast cancer in men, the tumor is related to hormones (hormone sensitivity). If a man has hormone-sensitive cancer, the doctor may recommend hormone therapy. In the case of breast cancer in men, tamoxifen is often given in hormone therapy. Also other hormone therapy drugs, which are useful in breast cancer in women, are not effective in men. If a man is seeing unusual symptoms or signs in his breast, he should not ignore these symptoms and contact the doctor about it, because starting treatment in the early stages of this rare disease is the most successful treatment.

Medical centre in Abu Dhabi

Adam and Eve Specialized Medical Centre’s doctors will help in properly treating breast cancer in men as early as possible. Consult our doctor if you notice any symptoms right away