Let’s talk about male breast cancer

In 2017, about 2,470 men are estimated to be diagnosed with the disease.

Image for representational purpose only.

HYDERABAD: If pink ribbon is to bring about awareness about breast cancer in women, the ribbon is to talk about breast cancer in men. Since it’s an uncommon disease, men may ignore the warning signs and also delay in seeing a doctor. 

In 2017, about 2,470 men are estimated to be diagnosed with the disease and about 460 men will die from breast cancer as per the statistics of American Cancer Society. Besides this, there are studies which show that one in 400 men is at high risk of contracting the disease.  

Amol Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist says, “In most of the cases, breast cancers in men are diagnosed at more advanced stages than women. Men may not notice breast lumps or else they see their doctor only when the lumps have become large. Early detection and prompt treatment are the best strategies to reduce the number of male breast cancer cases. Hence, it is always recommended to invest in prevention as it can help with early diagnosis of the health problems that may become serious at later stages”. 

Symptoms to watch for:

A lump in the breast is a most significant indicative factor. As men possess a small and flat breast tissue, identifying a lump becomes easy. Also, there may be an occurrence of one or more symptoms like dimpling and scaling of skin surrounding the breast area or nipple, nipple pain and discharge, sores around the nipple, under arm enlargement of lymph nodes and areola region. In exceptional cases like enlargement of breasts in men called ‘gynecomastia’, it may lead to breast cancer.

Treatment

In the initial stages, when the disease has a presence only in the breast or armpit, (stage I and II) surgery comes into play, which includes complete removal of the breast area with a clearance of the lymph nodal area in order to form the mainstay of treatment.

To restrain the recurrence, the patient may have to go through radiation, chemotherapy or both, depending upon the stage of the disease. Undergoing hormonal therapy often helps in curbing the disease for long. Subsequent to these extensive treatments, patients are given anti-hormonal drugs to help them recover with the after-effects of surgery and radiation therapy. 

By Indus  Health Plus, a preventive health checkup company

Risk factors for breast cancer in men

1. Genetics doesn’t play a big role in breast cancer in women, but it does in men. Genetic deviation like Klinefelter Syndrome elevates estrogen levels in men
2. Orchitis, an inflammation of the testicles increases the risk
3. Obesity due to unhealthy dietary habits
4. Chronic alcoholism/Smoking
5. Habitual of consuming hormonal medicines or herbal supplements
6. Previous radiation treatment to the chest 
7. If a family has a history of breast cancer then the risk of occurring stands high in a person since they may inherit either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
8. Individuals (especially youngsters) who go through radiation therapy for conditions like Hodgkin’s disease need to be more cautious as the chances of developing breast cancer are high. 
9. Preventive Measures for breast cancer
10. There are a number of things men can do to lower the risk of breast cancer which includes: 
11. Maintaining an ideal body weight
12. Regular exercise
13. Healthy and balanced diet
14. Restricting smoking and alcohol consumption