How Can You Tell If You Have Breast Cancer Male

Outlook For Breast Cancer In Men

The outlook for breast cancer in men varies depending on how far it has spread by the time it’s diagnosed.

It may be possible to cure breast cancer if it’s found early.

A cure is much less likely if the cancer is found after it has spread beyond the breast. In these cases, treatment can relieve your symptoms and help you live longer.

Speak to your breast care nurse if you’d like to know more about the outlook for your cancer.

What Are The Risk Factors

Several factors can increase a mans chance of getting breast cancer. Having risk factors does not mean you will get breast cancer.

• Getting older. The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Most breast cancers are found after age 50.
• Genetic mutations. Inherited changes in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, increase breast cancer risk.
• Family history of breast cancer. A mans risk for breast cancer is higher if a close family member has had breast cancer.
• Radiation therapy treatment. Men who had radiation therapy to the chest have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
• Hormone therapy treatment. Drugs containing estrogen , which were used to treat prostate cancer in the past, increase mens breast cancer risk.
• Klinefelter syndrome.Klinefelter syndromeexternal icon is a rare genetic condition in which a male has an extra X chromosome. This can lead to the body making higher levels of estrogen and lower levels of androgens .
• Conditions that affect the testicles. Injury to, swelling in, or surgery to remove the testicles can increase breast cancer risk.
• Liver disease. Cirrhosis of the liver can lower androgen levels and raise estrogen levels in men, increasing the risk of breast cancer.
• Overweight and obesity. Older men who are overweight or have obesity have a higher risk of getting breast cancer than men at a normal weight.

Talk to your doctor about your familys history of cancer.

Symptoms Of Breast Cancer In Men

The most common symptom for men with breast cancer include:

• lump in the breast that is nearly always painless
• oozing from the nipple that may be blood stained
• a nipple that is pulled into the breast
• swelling of the breast
• a sore in the skin of the breast
• lump or swelling under the arm
• a rash on or around the nipple

If you have any of these symptoms it is important to go to your GP straight away. Finding a cancer early gives the best chance of successful treatment.

• Find out about stages, types and grades

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Your Breast Looks Like It Has Been Bruised

If your breast is starting to have a bruised appearance with no other reason for the discoloration, the Mayo Clinic says it could be a sign of inflammatory breast cancersomething that can easily be confused with an infection. And for things you can do to improve your overall well-being, check out 100 Easy Ways to Be a Healthier Woman.

Men Have Breast Tissue

We tend to think of breasts as a female thing, but men do have some breast tissue in their pectoral area and behind their nipples, Dr. OHea says. They dont have as much estrogen as women so the tissue doesnt develop the way it does in women. But it can develop breast cancer in the same way as female breast cancer, he explains. What people often call man boobs are not breast tissue but rather fatty deposits that accumulate in the chest area. Having larger man boobs does not increase your risk of getting breast cancer, he adds.

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What Are Risk Factors For Breast Cancer In Men

A risk factor is anything that may increase your chance of having a disease. Risk factors for a certain type of cancer might include smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. The exact cause of someones cancer may not be known. But risk factors can make it more likely for a person to have cancer.

Things you should know about risk factors for cancer:

• Risk factors can increase a person’s risk, but they do not necessarily cause the disease.

• Some people with 1 or more risk factors never develop cancer. Other people can develop cancer and have no risk factors.

• Some risk factors are very well known. But there is ongoing research about risk factors for many types of cancer.

Some risk factors, such as family history, may not be in your control. But others may be things you can change. Knowing the risk factors can help you make choices that might lower your risk. For example, if an unhealthy diet is a risk factor, you may choose to eat healthy foods. If excess weight is a risk factor, your healthcare provider may check your weight or help you lose weight.

Risk factors for breast cancer in men include:

• Female relatives with breast cancer

• A breast cancer 2 gene mutation in the family

Targeted Cancer Drug Therapy

Your doctor will check your cancer cells for proteins called HER2 receptors. But these are rarely found in male breast cancer. If your cancer cells have a lot of these receptors, your doctor will prescribe a targeted drug treatment for you.

The most common targeted drug for breast cancer is trastuzumab .

• Find out about targeted cancer drugs

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Diagnosing Male Breast Cancer

Diagnosis male breast cancer starts with providing a complete personal and family medical history, describing your symptoms and being examined by your doctor.

After that, you may have screening with one of a few possible technologies, including a diagnostic mammogram, a breast ultrasound, a magnetic resonance imaging scan and/or possibly a test to study your nipple discharge.

Your doctor may also test your blood chemistry to look for unusual amounts of a substance that might suggest disease.

If your diagnostic tests show you may have cancer, the next step is a biopsy. A variety of different biopsies can involve removing cells through a needle, including fine-needle aspiration or core needle biopsy, or removing the whole lump or part of the suspicious area through surgery.

If cancer is found, additional tests will help your doctor know how quickly it may grow, how likely it is to spread or recur and what treatments may be the most appropriate.

Those would include:

• An estrogen and progesterone receptor test that measure the amount of these receptors in the cancer
• A HER2 test to measure the presence and level of HER2 protein

Men tend to be diagnosed with breast cancers that are hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative.

The spread of cancer from breast to lymph nodes and other parts of the body in men appears to be similar to what women experience.

The stage of breast cancer is determined by your care team based on:

How Is Breast Cancer Similar In Both Men And Women

Both men and women may have breast cancer cells in the lymph nodes. The patterns of the spread of cancer are similar. The staging system for male breast cancer is the same as the staging system for female breast cancer. Breast cancer in both men and women are assessed in the same way to determine the prognosis. This includes the size of the lesion and whether or not lymph nodes have cancer cells. These factors affect the choice and outcome of treatment. Overall survival rates are similar in both men and women with breast cancer. Although male breast cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage.

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Which Men Are More Likely To Get Breast Cancer

It’s rare for a man under age 35 to get breast cancer. Your chance of getting breast cancer goes up with age. Most breast cancers in men happen between ages 60 and 70.

Other things that raise the odds for male breast cancer include:

• Breast cancer in a close female relative
• History of radiation exposure of the chest
• Enlarged breasts because of drug or hormone treatments, some infections, or poisons
• Severe liver disease, called cirrhosis
• Diseases of the testicles such as mumps orchitis, a testicular injury, or an undescended testicle
• Obesity

Family History Of Breast Cancer Is Important For Men Too

Its not just women who need to tell their doctors about breast cancer in their family. Men should tell their doctors if they have breast cancer on either side of their family, male or female, Dr. OHea says. This is because while the BRCA1 gene mutation may have a small effect, the BRCA2 gene mutation increases a mans lifetime risk of getting breast cancer by 50 to 80 times, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Men And Breast Cancer: Statistics

According to the American Cancer Society:

• Breast cancer in men is rare less than 1 percent of all breast cancer occurs in men.

• About 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in men in the U.S in 2015.

• Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women.

• About 440 men in the U.S. died from breast cancer in 2015.

Some people use statistics to figure out their chances of getting cancer. Or they use them to try to figure out their chance of being cured. Because no two people are alike, statistics cant be used to predict what will happen to one person. These statistics describe large groups of people. They dont take into account a person’s own risk factors, such as family history, behaviors, or cancer screenings. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider.

More Contagious Offshoot Of Delta Coronavirus Variant Found In Uk

The scientists are closely watching a new mutation of the Delta variant by name AY.4.2. As per reports, the scientists of INSACOG said that it has also been found in India in very low numbers.

The new variant has been declared as a Variant Under Investigation in the UK. And, the scientists say that the new variant may be more transmissible than the Delta strain.

The designation was made on the basis that this sub-lineage has become increasingly common in the UK in recent months, and there is some early evidence that it may have an increased growth rate in the UK compared to Delta, the UK health security agency said.

More evidence is needed to know whether this is due to changes in the virus behaviour or to epidemiological conditions, the UK health security agency said.

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What Else Could It Be

Several health issues can bring on symptoms that look like signs of breast cancer in men. Some of them are:

Gynecomastia. This is when your breast tissue gets larger or swells. It’s usually due to a hormonal issue. It can also cause a lump to grow under your nipple.

Infections. These can lead to painful inflammation or pockets of pus . You may also run a fever.

Lipoma. This is an oval-shaped lump thatâs made of fat. It rarely brings on other symptoms.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia . This noncancerous breast lesion can feel like a small lump. In some cases, it makes breasts larger.

Granular cell tumor. Itâs usually benign, and it often shows up as a single, painless lump.

Joggerâs nipple. If you do a lot of exercise that makes your shirt rub against your chest, it can irritate your nipples and cause pain, redness, or bleeding. Itâs more common when the weatherâs hot and humid.

Mastitis. This means inflamed breast tissue. It can lead to redness, warmth, pain, and swelling. An infection can cause it.

Skin rash. These can show up anywhere on your body, including your chest. The affected skin can become tender, red, scaly, or itchy. Just a few of the things that can cause a rash are eczema, yeast infections, and hives.

American Cancer Society: âBreast Cancer Signs and Symptoms,â âCan Breast Cancer in Men Be Found Early?â âSigns and Symptoms of Breast Cancer in Men.â

National Cancer Institute: âMale Breast Cancer TreatmentâPatient Version.â

Tests That May Be Done

For men, breast cancer is most often found because you have found a lump or other change in your breast.

The doctor asks you questions about your health and does a physical exam. A breast exam is done to look for changes in the nipples or the skin of your breasts. The doctor also checks the lymph nodes under your arm and above your collarbone. Swollen or hard lymph nodes might mean breast cancer has spread.

If signs are pointing to breast cancer, more tests will be done. Here are some of the tests you may need:

Mammogram: Mammograms are x-rays that are mostly used to find breast cancer early in women. But for men, a mammogram may be done to look more closely at the breast problem you might have.

MRI scan: MRIs use radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays to take pictures. MRIs can be used to learn more about the size of the cancer and look for other tumors in the breast.

Breast ultrasound: For this test, a small wand is moved around on your skin. It gives off sound waves and picks up the echoes as they bounce off tissues. The echoes are made into a picture that you can see on a computer screen. Ultrasound can help the doctor see if a lump is a fluid-filled cyst or a tumor that could be cancer.

Nipple discharge exam: If you have fluid coming from your nipple, some of it may be sent to a lab. There, it will be checked to see if there are cancer cells in it.

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Your Armpit Lymph Nodes Are Swollen

Most people are always looking for bumps in their breasts, but don’t forget to check your lymph nodes for swelling, too. “Many patients who end up diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes have no symptoms in the breast, no changes in the structure of the breast, but they come in for a consult because they feel something under their arm,” says Alvarez. “This may mean that cancer from the breast has traveled to the lymph nodes, and now there is lymph node invasion.”

How Is A Male Breast Cancer Diagnosis Made

If a doctor has reason to suspect cancer, the following tests and procedures may be used to arrive at a diagnosis:

• Clinical breast exam. Usually a first step, this is performed in the office. The doctor feels the breast and underarm area for palpable lumps and examines the skin and nipple for any breast changes.
• Imaging tests. Next, the doctor may order such tests as a mammogram with a breast ultrasound and, occasionally, a magnetic resonance imaging of the breasts. A radiologist will examine these imaging tests to look for malignant tumors.
• Breast biopsy. A breast biopsy is a procedure in which a small piece of tissue is removed and sent to a pathology lab, where it is evaluated to determine if it is malignant or benign. The four main kinds of breast biopsies are the core needle biopsy, excisional biopsy, fine need aspiration, and punch skin biopsy.

Hormone-sensitivity tests. If cancer is found, an estrogen and progesterone receptor test is performed to determine whether the tumor contains receptors for estrogen and progesterone. If it does, the patient can also be treated with medications that suppress estrogen and progesterone in the body, depriving cancer cells of those hormones. This is done in addition to surgical therapy.

• HER2 test. This test measures the amount of the growth-factor protein known as HER2, found in the breast tissue. This information helps a medical oncologist choose the right therapy for treatment.

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Men Also Worry About How They Look After The Disease

In a world in which a mans appearance is increasingly importantand where it is common for men to be seen without a shirt in the gym or on the beacheffects of breast cancer, including mastectomy scars, can have serious effects on a male survivors mental health, says Rachel Rabinovitch, MD, a breast cancer specialist at the CU Cancer Center and professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Yet while women have lots of support in this area, these psychosocial factors are often overlooked in men, she adds. Men facing this issue should talk to their caregivers about therapy and potential cosmetic solutions, she says.

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When To See Your Gp

See your GP if you have:

• a lump in your breast
• any other worrying symptoms, such as nipple discharge
• a history of breast cancer in members of your family and you’re worried about your chances of getting it

It’s very unlikely you have cancer, but it’s best to get your symptoms checked. Your GP will examine your breast and can refer you for tests and scans for breast cancer if needed.

If you do not have symptoms but have a clear family history of breast cancer, your GP may refer you to a genetic specialist to discuss your risk of getting it.

There are some inherited genes that increase your risk of cancer and a blood test can be done to check for these. Read about testing for cancer risk genes.

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What Is Male Breast Cancer

Male breast cancer is a type of cancer that grows in a mans breast tissue. Although male breasts cant produce milk, they do have fatty tissue, ducts and breast cells. Breast tissue in men is similar to young girls breast tissue before they start puberty. Cancer develops when cells in these tissues grow uncontrollably, forming a tumor.

Treatment for male breast cancer includes chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, hormone therapy and targeted therapy. The outlook depends on the tumors size and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.