It’s rare, but men can and do get breast cancer. Men’s breasts don’t fully develop like women’s do, but all men have breast tissue.
Male breast cancer is most likely to develop in the milk ducts. This is called ductal carcinoma. For a small number of men, it starts in milk-producing glands. This is called lobular carcinoma.
Only about 1 percentTrusted Source of all cases of breast cancer are in men. In 2015, there were about 2,350Trusted Source new cases of male breast cancer. About 440Trusted Source men lost their lives to the disease.
Because it’s uncommon, men may be more inclined to ignore warning signs and delay seeing a doctor. Awareness that men can and do develop breast cancer is essential to early diagnosis and treatment.
Early diagnosis and treatment generally lead to a more positive outcome. Read on to learn more about risk factors and symptoms of breast cancer in men, and what you should do about it.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer in men?
The symptoms of breast cancer in men are similar to those in women. These include:
- a breast lump that you can see or feel
- an enlargement of one breast
- nipple pain
- discharge from the nipple
- sores on the nipple or areola
- an inverted nipple
- enlarged underarm lymph nodes
You should contact your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms.
When both breasts grow larger in a man, it’s called gynecomastia. This condition is unlikely to be cancerous, and it may be caused by:
- weight gain
- certain medications
- marijuana use
- excessive alcohol use
When in doubt, it’s best to ask your doctor, especially if you have known risk factors.
How is breast cancer diagnosed in men?
Your doctor will ask you about your medical history and conduct a physical examination.
An ultrasound and an MRI are two noninvasive tests that may be used to get detailed pictures. Blood work can help check for signs of disease.
You may need a biopsy if cancer can’t be ruled out. Using a needle, your doctor will remove a sample of the suspicious tissue. In some cases, the entire lump may have to be removed. The tissue will be sent to a pathologist who will examine it under a microscope to determine if it’s cancerous.
How is breast cancer treated in men?
Pathology tests can help identify the type of cancer you have and how quickly it can be expected to grow. This will help your doctor recommend the best treatment plan for you.
There are a few surgical options:
- In a lumpectomy, the tumor, plus some healthy tissue around it, is removed. If the tumor is larger or you have more than one tumor, it may be better to remove the entire breast. This is called a mastectomy. This sometimes involves removal of chest wall muscles and nearby lymph nodes.
- Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells that may have been missed by surgery.
- Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment. It’s used to kill cancer cells throughout your body.
Targeted therapy focuses on specific substances that are helping your
cancer grow. If your lab tests showed particular hormone receptors in
the cancer cells, hormone therapy may be prescribed. These medications
can block the production of certain hormones. Monoclonal antibody
therapy also targets specific substances that are helping your cancer
grow.
