If you are one of those who associate breast cancer only with women think again. Data shows that out of every ten breast cancer patients one is a man. Though more women than men are impacted by breast cancer, low awareness levels coupled by delaying diagnosis make it even more severe. While there is a lot of awareness being generated behind breast cancer, an important fact is ignored- it is not only women but men who also develop the disease. The treatment and cure of cancer depend primarily on timely detection. While women are constantly counselled to have regular check ups and do self examinations, most men are not even aware that this disease can strike them.
Symptoms
It is important to know the symptoms and signs of breast cancer and the moment any abnormality is discovered, it should be investigated by a doctor. It has been observed in most cases that initially only one or two symptoms are noticeable and the presence of these symptoms and signs do not automatically mean that one has breast cancer.
The most basic way of understanding male breast cancer is by looking for a lump which is painless. Breast lumps are not the only signs of possible sign of breast cancer and most breast lumps are not cancer. Also at times the breast or chest area may appear thickened. Look out for a noticeable change in the breast or nipple which may be a warning for breast cancer:
Lump, hard knot or breast area may appear thickened (while there is usually no pain, it might feel tender to touch)
Change in the size or shape of the breast
Skin might become red and swollen.
Nipples might get itchy and there is soreness and appearance of the rash.
Pulling in of the nipple ( commonly referred to as inverted nipple)
Nipple discharge
As compared to women, breast tissue in women is less and hence some of these are easily visible in men. There are chances that these are symptoms of non cancerous or a benign.
If you happen to notice any of these symptoms or change in your breast, chest area or nipple, consult your doctor immediately. Some men tend to be embarrassed and don't consult the doctor but that can only make things worse. Survival is highest when cancer is found early.
Treatment
Most men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer will undergo some form of treatment which depends on various factors like the size of the tumor and its location. It also depends on which stage the cancer is the and the results of other laboratory tests. Let us understand briefly about some of the treatments:
Surgery: this is usually the first treatment if the breast abnormality if found to be a cancer. This is a critical step in your treatment where the nipple, areola, and all the breast tissues are removed. The muscles of the chest are left alone. However surgery also has some side effects like numbness of the skin, extra sensitivity to touch, fluid collecting under the scar, delayed wound healing and risk of infection in the surgical area.
Lymph node surgery: Your lymph nodes act as filters for your body's lymphatic drainage system. These help the doctor determine the most suitable treatment. However this removal of lymph node may have a side effect which is lymphedema of the arm. In this case the lymph fluid builds up in the soft tissues of the arm. Post the surgery, cancer cells need to be removed with some more treatments. Various treatments like radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy are used.
Radiation therapy: This is an effective way to destroy cancer cells that tend to stay back post surgery. This ensures that recurrence does not happen or is minimized. However this also has some side effects like skin irritation, fatigue, shooting pains in the chest, armpit discomfort and lung effects.
It is important to understand that breast cancer is not just a woman thing. The survival rate for men breast cancer is 45%, a statistic that could improve if men were diagnosed early. Hence it is important to understand the disease in detail and increase awareness.
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