Breast Cancer Hurts Men Too!

Breast cancer happens only to women. Most of us delude in this myth, which is far from truth. Globally, it is estimated that for every 170 cancer cases amongst women, there is one male afflicted with breast cancer.

Why me?

Though it sounds unusual, but there is nothing bizarre about men having breast cancer. Men have all the same type of breast tissues that women have but with fewer ducts and globules, and they are not developed in men. Experts agree that the genesis of the disease is the same as in women. The irony lies in the fact that lumps in men are easier to feel than they are in women, however, the disease is discovered at a later stage, owing to appalling lack of awareness. Male breast cancer is treatable if diagnosed early, as it happens with breast cancer in women, but mostly men are in denial, as they feel they can’t have the disease, and by the time disease is diagnosed it is too late. No wonder, this accounts for extremely slim survival rates for men with breast cancer.

Causes

Various factors such as occupation, obesity, lifestyle-related stress, family history, inherited gene mutations, alcohol intake and prior exposure to radiation amongst others, are believed to cause breast cancer in men.

Take that lump seriously

There is an urgent need to educate men and make them aware that breast cancer is not limited to only women. In fact, the data reveals that more men died of breast cancer than of penile, thyroid or small intestinal cancer and doctors say it is a trend well recognized now.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life. Most breast lumps aren’t cancerous. Yet the most common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump or thickening in the breast. Often the lump is painless. Other signs of breast cancer include:

• Skin dimpling or puckering
• Development of a new retraction or indentation of the nipple
• Redness of scaling of the nipple or breast skin
• A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from the nipple
• Lump, mass or swelling in the breast, nipple or chest wall
• Inversion of the nipple (the nipple turns inward)
• Nipple or skin of the breast has a red appearance or is very dry and scaly

Questions to ask

The diagnosis may come as a surprise, but breast cancer is a serious subject. Asking right questions can help you.

1. What type of breast cancer do I have, is it in situ (cancer is localized and has not spread to nearby tissue) or cancer has spread to nearby tissue?
2. What is the stage of my cancer?
3. What treatments are possible for my kind of cancer? Which one do you recommend and why?
4. How can I prepare for treatment? What side effects should I expect?
5. What are my chances of recovery?

As far as treatment options go, most of the information about treating male breast cancer comes from doctors’ experience with treating female breast cancer. There are too few men with breast cancer for doctors to study in clinical trials. These usually include mastectomy, Lymph Node Biopsy, Adjuvant Therapy, radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy. Always view any lump in the area surrounding thebreast with caution, it might be the first sign of breast cancer lurking in your body. The sooner the cancer is diagnosed greater are the chances of recovery.

Dr. Sidharth Sahni, consultant surgical oncology, Artemis Health Institute

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