Almost about 2650 men are expected to be diagnosed with this malignancy and an estimated 530 men are expected to die from breast cancer.
The most common kinds of breast cancer in men are:
➢ Invasive ductal carcinoma- the cancer cells begin in the ducts and then grow outside the ducts into the parts of the breast tissue.
➢ Invasive lobular carcinoma- cancer cells begin in the lobules and then spread from the lobules to the breast tissues that are close by.
➢ Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a breast disease that may lead to invasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are only in the lining of the ducts and have not spread to other tissues in the breast.
Risk factors:
➢ Getting old
➢ Genetic mutations
➢ Family history of breast cancer
➢ Radiation therapy treatment
➢ Hormone therapy treatment
➢ Klinefelter syndrome
➢ Certain conditions that affect the testicles
➢ Liver disease
➢ Overweight and obesity
Breast cancer can be identified in men by:
➢ A lump in the chest (usually stiff and painless)
➢ The nipple turning inwards
➢ Fluid oozing from the nipple (may be streaked with blood)
➢ A sore or rash around the nipple that does not disappear
➢ Swollen glands
➢ The nipple or surrounding skin becoming hard, red, or swollen
The most common tool used by doctors to identify the stages in breast cancer is the TNM system which stands for tumor, node, and metastasis. Tumor describes the size of the tumor (area of cancer), the node is whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and metastasis concerns the transmutation of the tumor to other parts of the body.
How is breast cancer treated?
➢ Surgery
➢ Chemotherapy
➢ Radiation therapy
➢ Hormone therapy
➢ Targeted therapy
Writers: Zahra Taujoo and Hemisha Ramsurrun
Editors: Khisha Callicharrun