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Male Breast Cancer - signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options

Even though men have less breast tissues than women, they are vulnerable to breast cancer. Men also have breast cells that can undergo cancerous changes. Male breast cancer is most common in men between the ages of 60 and 70.

In the past, male breast cancer was often diagnosed at a more advanced stage, though this is no longer the case. Although male breast cancer and breast cancer in women are similar, important distinctions in breast size and stages exist. Awareness can help in early diagnosis and survival in cases of male breast cancer.

Most male breast changes are due to benign or abnormalities, such as gynecomastia, which is a non-cancerous tissue growth.

Gynecomastia is an increase in the amount of breast tissue. Gynecomastia is common in teenage boys and is related to changes in the hormone balance during adolescence. A man with gynecomastia may have a button-like or disk-like growth under the nipple and areola that can be felt and often seen.

Gynecomastia can also develop in older men due to changes in their hormone balances. While gynecomastia is usually symmetrical and similar in both breasts, in some cases it may develop asymmetrically. Only one breast may become more affected or in some cases, only one breast may become affected by the cancer

Male Breast Cancer Symptoms

• Breast lump
• Swelling
• Skin dimpling or puckering
• Nipple retraction (the nipple turns inward)
• Redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge

Causes

Tumors or diseases of certain endocrine glands may cause gynecomastia. These glands cause a man’s body to produce more estrogen that is a female hormone. Normally, estrogen is produced in males in small amount that is not enough to cause breast growth.

The liver aids in hormone metabolism. Liver diseases may change a man’s hormone balance and lead to gynecomastia or breast cancer.

Defects in breast cancer gene 1 or 2 (BRCA 1 or BCRA 2) put you at greater risk of developing male breast cancer. A family history of male breast cancer may also increase your risk of developing it.

Exposure to radiation beams for any disease or while working in related environment can lead to male breast cancer.

Diagnosis

The doctor may conduct a breast examination to check for lumps or other changes. The doctor will feel the size and location of the lumps to make sure of the diagnosis.

A mammogram uses a series of X-rays to show images of your breast tissue. During a mammogram, the breasts are compressed between plastic plates while a radiology technician takes the X-rays.

Breast ultrasound uses sound waves to form images of structures within the body. It helps to evaluate an abnormality seen on a mammogram or found during a clinical exam.

Nipple discharge examination may be conducted if you experience it. The discharge is then examined for cancerous cells.

A biopsy is the only way for your doctor to know whether a lump or abnormality is cancerous. Biopsies can provide important information about an unusual breast change and help determine need and kind of treatment. To obtain a tissue sample, your doctor may use Fine-needle aspiration biopsy, core needle biopsy or surgical biopsy.

If a biopsy reveals malignant cells, your doctor may recommend estrogen and progesterone receptor tests on the malignant cells. These tests help determine whether female hormones affect the way the cancer grows.

If the biopsy shows malignant cells, your doctor may also test the sample for the presence of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. About 30 percent of male breast cancers have too much of this protein. Such cancers are usually more aggressive, growing and spreading more quickly than other breast cancers.

Treatment

Surgery for male breast cancer involves a modified radical mastectomy. It is removal of the breast, some of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles.

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and reach cancer cells throughout the body.

Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream.

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. External radiation therapy uses a machine to send radiation towards the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer

As it is a rare disease among men, most men do not recognize male breast cancer until the symptoms become apparent. In such cases, a doctor should be consulted so that proper treatment can be given.