Breast Cancer in Men

Male breast cancer affects less than one percent of men in the U.S. and accounts for less than one percent of all diagnosed breast cancers. The average age for diagnosis is about 63 years—ten years later than for women. Recent literature on breast cancer indicates that, when matched stage for stage, female and male breast cancer patients have similar survival rates.

Signs of breast cancer in men are comparable to those in women. Most male breast cancer is detected as a lump on one side of the breast, under the areola. The lump is typically hard and firmly attached to surrounding tissue. As in women, invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer in men.

Signs also include a nipple discharge or inversion, either of which warrants an immediate examination. Open sores on the skin that become inflamed should be examined as well.

One of the important signs of breast cancer is swollen lymph nodes in the armpits ("axillary"), which occur in about fifty percent of the cases. Sometimes, swollen lymph nodes are the very first sign of a tumor. However, lymph nodes can become swollen for other reasons. A physician should examine any swollen axillary lymph nodes immediately.

The suggestion that male breast cancer is more aggressive than the disease in females may be due to the fact that men seem to respond less favorably to treatment. However, this may be more a function of the relative lateness in life in which male breast cancers are diagnosed.

Men, too, present difficulties for diagnosticians in that not all swellings are malignancies. Gynecomastia, or the benign development of breast tissue in men, is sometimes mistaken for a malignancy until biopsy and tissue analysis are completed. Gynecomastia occurs in about one half of the male population in the U.S. at some stage of their lives.

As in women, abnormal genes can trigger breast cancer in men. Age is also risk factor, as most cases of the disease occur later in life, particularly after age 65.

Men with certain genetic conditions may be at higher risk for breast cancer whereas in women, these conditions don't exist or may not be a factor. For example, men born with an extra X chromosome (XXY) are at a slightly higher risk for gynecomastia and for developing breast cancer.

Men who have contracted mumps orchitis after age 20 appear to be at greater risk. Increased estrogen levels and decreased testosterone levels may also be linked to an increased incidence of the disease.

Resources

American Cancer Society. (nd). What is breast cancer in men?

CancerBACUP. (2004). Breast cancer in men.

National Cancer Institute. (2003). General information about male breast cancer. Male Breast Cancer (PDQ®).