Male breast cancer is a rare cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men.
Though breast cancer is most commonly thought of as a woman’s disease, male breast cancer does occur.
Male breast cancer is most common in older men, though it can occur at any age.
Men diagnosed with male breast cancer at an early stage have a good chance for a cure.
For this reason, many male breast cancers are diagnosed when the disease is more advanced.
It’s not clear what causes male breast cancer.
Doctors know that male breast cancer triggers when some breast cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do.
Everyone is born with a small amount of breast tissue.
During puberty, women begin developing more breast tissue, and men do not.
But because men are born with a small amount of breast tissue, they can develop breast cancer.
These genes normally make proteins that keep cells from growing abnormallywhich helps prevent cancer.
But mutated genes aren’t as effective at protecting you from cancer.
Discuss the benefits and risks of genetic testing with your doctor.
Here’s some information to help you get ready and what to expect from your doctor.
List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out.
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions.
Being ready to answer them may make time to go over points you want to spend more time on.
Biopsy, blood tests, and imaging tests can be used to stage male breast cancer.
Male breast cancer treatment often involves surgery and may also include other treatments.
The goal of surgery is to remove the tumor and surrounding breast tissue.
The procedures include:
Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy uses medications to kill cancer cells.
Your doctor might recommend chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might have spread outside your breast.
Chemotherapy may also be an option for men with advanced breast cancer.
Most men with male breast cancer have tumors that rely on hormones to grow (hormone-sensitive).
If your cancer is hormone-sensitive, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy for male breast cancer often involves the medication tamoxifen, which is also used for women.
Other hormone therapy medications used in women with breast cancer haven’t been shown to be effective for men.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be shocking and upsetting.
With time you’ll find ways to cope with the stress and challenges of cancer and cancer treatment.
Until then, you might find it helpful to consider:
Updated: 2015-02-17
Publication Date: 2006-01-17
