By J. McCurdy - Crooks, Contributor
ALTHOUGH IT is not as common as breast cancer in women, men are also at risk. The rarity of this occurrence in men makes it less spoken or written about. Figures for the USA indicate that less than 1 per cent of breast cancer patients are men. There are different kinds of breast cancer and men can get them all, although some, such as lobular carcinomas are especially rare. The most common forms are Paget's disease of the nipple, Infiltrating (invasive) ductal carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma.
Don't know of any man who has had breast cancer? Fans of the 1970s movie series, Shaft, may remember the star, Richard Roundtree. He is a breast cancer survivor. He is among a group of other survivors trying to have "a bit of blue" included into the well-known pink bow used to symbolise breast cancer awareness. For more visit http://www.thestar.com and http://www.imaginis.
com/breasthealth/news.
RISK FACTORS
The causes of breast cancer in men are also similar to the causes of the disease in women. These are:
Age: The average age of men afflicted is 60.
Heredity: As with female breast cancer, men have an increased risk if they have close family members who have had the disease.
Socioeconomic status: Research done has shown that most male breast cancer is seen in professional college educated men. The reason for this is unknown.
Race: Some research shows an increased risk for Jewish and black males.
Trauma to the breast: Although not conclusive, some studies suggest that there might be a link between previous injuries to the breast and breast cancer.
Radiation exposure: Some research shows a possible link between the occurrence of breast cancer in men, and radiation treatment in childhood for benign tumours.
Obesity in childhood: This results in more breast tissue, hence an increased risk for cancer of the breast. Also overweight men tend to have higher levels of the female hormone, oestrogen, because fat cells produce oestrogen.
Reduced testicular function: This can be due to a number of different factors, all of which reduces the level of the male hormone, testosterone, for example, a past history of testicular cancer or undescended testes.
For additional information on risk factors visit http://www.baptistoneword.org/healthinfo/breast/ and http://breastdoctor.com/breast/men/cancer.htm.
SYMPTOMS
- The disease shows itself most often in the form of a painless lump. Other
symptoms include:
- Bloody discharge from the nipple
- Pain in the breast
- Swelling under the arm
- Inversion of the nipple, that is, a pulling sensation inside the breast
TREATMENT
Treatment options are similar for both men and women. These include radiation therapy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Treatment depends a great deal on the stage of the disease. Unfortunately, for men the disease is normally found in its late stage since most men are uninformed about this particular health issue. Based on this, the survival rate is believed to be lower for men than it is for women. Mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breast, is the most frequently used form of treatment.
In radiation therapy high energy rays are used to kill the cancer cells, thus stopping their growth. Both external and internal radiation treatment can be used. Chemotherapy is also used, where the patient is treated with anti-cancer drugs. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, incorporating proper diet of fruits and vegetables and exercise is important. Remember early detection is key.
For additional information on the disease see http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/breastcancer.html, http://breastdoctor.com/breast/
men/cancer.htm and http://www.cchs.net/health/
health-info/docs/.
