How Common Is Male Breast Cancer?

Although it's much more common in women, men get breast cancer, too -- it's not abnormal because we're all mammals, and we all have some amount of breast tissue. Learn about the symptoms and treatments in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cancer/breast/men-breast-cancer.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff Lauren Vogelbaum.
Here a breast cancer is predominantly thought of as a
women's disease, but the thing about humans is that we're
all mammals. Men have breast tissue too, and men can
also develop cancer in that tissue. For the article this

(00:25):
episode is based on how Stuff Work, spoke with doctor
Nikita Shaw, a section leader for breast medical oncology at
Orlando Health uf Health Cancer Center. She explained that the
reaction to such a traditionally feminine diagnosis can be volatile
for guys. A quote. Some men embrace and run with it.
Some men look at it as well, what's wrong with me?

(00:48):
In women and men, a breast cancer is more common
if you have a Braca one or brack A two
G mutation, but not every man or woman with these
mutations is destined to get breast cancer. Guys with these
mutations the risk of getting breast cancer over the course
of a lifetime is about six percent. Still, experts recommend
that men with a strong family history of breast cancer

(01:10):
or those who have been diagnosed already, get genetic testing
to determine whether a gene is at play. How stuff works.
Also spoke via email with Susan Brown, Senior Director of
Education and Patient Support with Susan G. Comen As. She
said the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about
one in eight hundred and thirty three in US men,
compared to one in eight for US women. A male

(01:35):
breast cancers account for only one percent of all cases
diagnosed each year in the US, which equates to about
two thousand cases annually. But let's break down why this
is and how breast cancer works. Both men and women
have breast tissue. That breast tissue has fat, as well
as glands that produce milk and ducks that carry the

(01:55):
milk to the nipples. Most of the time, breast cancer
for both men and women begins in the milk ducts.
This is called ductal carcinoma. Breast cells normally grow and
divide in response to estrogen, which is why people who
are assigned male at birth generally don't develop much breast tissue.
They generally have less estrogen. The more these cells divide,

(02:15):
the more chances there are for mistakes to be made
when copying their DNA. These DNA mistakes may eventually lead
to cancer. If your hormones are unbalanced, that could increase
breast cancer risk, but the cause of most male breast
cancer is unknown. There are a few things that put
men at slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer, according

(02:36):
to Shah. For example, gynocomastia, which is the enlargement of
male breast tissue, can be caused by liver disease, hormonal imbalance,
or certain medications. Other risk factors include aging, family history
of breast cancer, obesity, liver disease, radiation exposure, heavy drinking,
and certain testicular conditions. Black men are at higher risk

(02:56):
than white men, but again the exact cause of cancer
developing is often unknown. While the risk of a breast
cancer diagnosis for a man is lower than for a woman,
it's often serious once it's caught. Shaw said men don't
have that much breast tissue and they're not looking for it,
so it's a higher stage when it's diagnosed because men

(03:17):
aren't going in for mammograms. Brown said the most common
sign of breast cancer in men is a painless lump
or thickening in the breast or chest area. However, any
change in the breast or nipple can be a warning
sign of breast cancer in men. Those changes could include dimpling, puckering,
or redness of the skin of the breast, itchy scaly sores,

(03:37):
or a rash on the nipple, including spots of blood,
pulling in or inversion of the nipple or other parts
of the breast and nipple discharge, or any other change
in the general size or shape of the breast. These
signs are practically identical to those experienced by women with
breast cancer. A treatment depends on the specific type and stage,

(03:57):
but in general, men who are a diagnosed be treated
similarly to a postmenopausal woman who's diagnosed. That treatment can
include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation, and or surgery. When it
comes to surgery, men more often receive a complete misectomy
rather than a lumpectomy, which is a partial removal of
the breast, and that's because of the smaller size of
most male breasts to begin with. That being said, treatment

(04:21):
is handled on a case by case basis, with some
men requiring radiation therapy depending on the stage. Typically, hormone
therapy is also used, since most male breast cancer cases
are hormone receptor positive. This therapy helps prevent the estrogen
and progesterone hormones from attaching to the receptors in the cells,
which stops the growth of cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is also

(04:42):
dependent on stage and type. The diagnosis of breast cancer
is enough to upset in any patient, but for men,
it's often unexpected. Add the perception of the disease as feminine, though,
and a new layer of discomfort is common. Brown said,
men may be embarrassed if they have to get a
diagnostic mammogram or see a breast surgeon or a breast

(05:03):
cancer oncologist where they're surrounded by pink and mistaken as
a caregiver and not the patient. I would personally add
that the branding of cancer research and treatment in pink
can be off putting to anyone. But more to our
point today, it's up to caregivers and the public to
shift the dialogue to be more inclusive. Brown said, we

(05:23):
can do a better job when talking about breast cancer,
deliberately adding men to the story, acknowledging it can occur,
normalizing the occurrence of breast cancer and men to remove
the stigma, and as more men share their breast cancer diagnosis, publicly,
the stigma should decrease. Brown also suggests support groups for
men dealing with such a diagnosis, as she said, support

(05:44):
groups for breast cancer may only have female members, so
joining a support group for men with any type of
cancer may be more helpful. If you or someone you
love is looking for that support, you can check with
your medical provider or a cancer advocacy organization like Comen
four resources in your area or online. Today's episode is

(06:08):
based on the article male breast cancer is Rare but
Real on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by Aleah Hoyt. Brain
Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with how Stuffworks
dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. For four
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