Male Breast Cancer

Although breast cancer does strike men, it is rare. Less than 1% of all breast cancer patients are men.

• Types of Breast Cancer in Men
  Men get some, but not all, of the types of breast cancer which women get. The effects of the diseases and staging are like those for breast cancer in women.
  • Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most common breast cancer in men.
  • Ductal carcinoma in situ also occurs in men.
  • Inflammatory breast cancer also occurs in men,
  • Lobular carcinoma has not been reported in men.

• Risk Factors
  
  • Age. Most men diagnosed with breast cancer are between 60 and 70.
  • Exposure to radiation.
  • Disease which causes high levels of estrogen in the body, such as cirrhosis.
  • Having several female relatives who have had breast cancer.
  • Having one male relative who has had breast cancer.
  • Prior breast cancer.

• Screening
  Self-examination is as effective for early detection in men as in women.

• Diagnosis, Staging and Treatment
  Male breast cancer is diagnosed, staged and treated almost exactly like breast cancer in women.