Male Breast Cancer – Breast Self Exams For Men

Male breast cancer is caused by cancer cells that grow uncontrollably in the breast tissues. Men have small amount of breast tissues over the chest area but men do not developed breast because they produce hormone testosterone that prevents this from occurring.

Women are able to developed breast because they produce hormone estrogen that causes breast tissues to grow and developed overtime. Breast cancers are less common in male and it affects mostly older men. Breast cancers can also affect men in different age group.

Types of Male Breast Cancer

Breast cancers begins to grow either in the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) or the lobules (lobular carcinoma) the milk-producing glands. The cancer may be invasive or noninvasive.

• Ductal carcinoma in stu (DCIS) begins in the milk ducts and it is non-invasive because the cancer hasn’t spread to surrounding breast tissues. DCIS may develop into invasive cancer if left untreated.

• Lobular carcinoma in stu (LCIS) begins in the lobules and it is non-invasive because the cancer hasn’t spread to surrounding breast tissues. LCIS may develop into invasive cancer if left untreated. This type of cancer is not common in male because men have insufficient lobules tissues.

• Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) begins in the milk ducts and the cancer is invasive because it has spread to surrounding breast tissues.

• Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) begins in the lobules and the cancer is invasive because it has spread to surrounding breast tissues. This type of cancer is not common in male because men have insufficient lobules tissues.

• Paget disease of the breast is an uncommon type of breast cancer that begins in the milk ducts and spread to the nipple which may also spread to the areola (dark area surrounding the nipple). This type of cancer may be invasive or non-invasive (DCIS).

Causes of Male Breast Cancer

There are several risk factors that can increase a man’s chance of developing breast cancers and these may include the following.

• Old age.
• Defective genes such as BRCA2.
• Family history of breast cancer.
• Exposure to high levels of estrogen.
• Radiation exposure.
• Klinefelter's syndrome.
• Liver disease.
• Overweight.
• Alcohol abuse.

Symptoms

Symptoms that are associated with breast cancers may include the following.

• Swelling of the breast or painless breast lumps.
• Redness on the skin of the breast.
• Inverted nipple.
• Clear or bloody discharge from the nipple.

Symptoms that are associated with late stages of breast cancers may include bone pain, weight loss, and weakness of the body.

Types of Treatment

There are different types of tests performed by doctor to detect breast cancer and these may include clinical breast exam, mammography, ultrasound, biopsy, MRI, and CT scan. If breast cancer is detected, further test may be required to determine the stages of cancer in order to determine treatment options.

There are different stages of breast cancer and therefore breast cancer treatments may include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and surgery. Most of the time male breast cancer is treated with surgery but a combination of treatments may also be used depending on the stages of the cancer.

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