Male Breast Cancer Explained by A Breast Cancer Doctor

Introduction 

It is rare, but men can also develop breast cancer, says a breast cancer doctor in Kolkata. Research suggests that breast cancer accounts for about 1% of all malignancies in men. 

Male breast cancer is common in older men; however, it can develop at any age.

Male breast cancer treatment typically involves surgery. Other treatments include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Like any other cancer, early diagnosis of male breast cancer presents a good chance for effective treatment. Therefore, although it is rare, men should be aware of various essential aspects of disease like its symptoms, causes, types and risk factors.

 

 

Symptoms of Male Breast Cancer

• A painless lump or hardening of breast tissue

• Puckering, dimpling, scaling or redness of the skin covering the breast 

• Changes to the nipple, like scaling or redness or a nipple that begins to turn inward

• Discharge from your nipple

    

  When to See a Doctor

  If the above signs and symptoms remain persistent, make an appointment with a breast cancer doctor as soon as possible.

   

Causes of Male Breast Cancer

The exact cause of breast cancer in men remains unknown. However, the top breast cancer surgeons in Kolkata say that male breast cancer occurs when some cells in the breast tissue start dividing more rapidly than healthy cells. The cells that abnormally divide accumulates over time, forming a tumour that may spread to nearby breast tissue, lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Types of Breast Cancer Diagnosed in Men 

1. Invasive ductal carcinoma – Nearly all male breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma. This type of cancer cell starts developing in the ducts and then extends outside into the nearby breast tissue and other body parts.

2. Lobular Carcinoma – This type of cancer is rare among men because they have few lobules in their breast tissue. These cancer cells originate in the lobules and spread to nearby breast tissues and other body parts.

3. Other types of cancer - Other rarer types of the male breast cancer include Paget's disease of the nipple and inflammatory breast cancer.

Risk Factors of Male Breast Cancer 

1. Older age – According to breast cancer doctors in Kolkata, men in their 60s have a higher chance of developing breast cancer.

2. Exposure to oestrogen – Men who take oestrogen-related drugs for prostate cancer have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

3. Family history – Men who have a close family member diagnosed with breast cancer have an increased risk of breast cancer.

4. Klinefelter's syndrome - Boys born with more than one copy of the X chromosome suffer from this genetic syndrome. The syndrome causes the testicles to develop abnormally, resulting in lower male hormones (androgens) and more female hormones (oestrogens).

5. Obesity - Obesity causes higher oestrogen levels in the body, increasing the risk of male breast cancer.