October 15, 2025 • 11 mins
Episode 3: Breast cancer awareness and women’s health go hand in hand. But did you know that there are symptoms and risk factors that men need to know about? In this episode of On Call, Off Script, host Ruelle Champion speaks with Danielle Fitzgerald, director of radiology services at Jackson North Medical Center, about breast health for everyone. Men shouldn’t overlook the red flags that may signal issues with their breast. This conversation highlights the importance of a healthy lifestyle, recognizing the signs, and what to expect if screening is necessary.
To learn more about breast health services at Jackson Health System, visit this link: Breast Health Services in Miami, Mammogram, Breast Cancer Treatment.
Host: Ruelle Champion Guest Info: Danielle Fitzgerald, Director of Radiology Services at Jackson North Medical Center Danielle Fitzgerald is the director of radiology services at Jackson North Medical Center, where she leads imaging operations, quality, and patient experience. A seasoned radiology leader within Jackson Health System, Fitzgerald oversees compliance and service integration across imaging and cardiovascular services, and champions community education initiatives like mammogram awareness.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
I might.
I might have.
We often think of breast canceras a women's issue.
But did you knowmen can be affected as well?
This is on call offscript, a Jackson Health System podcast.
I'm your host world champion,
and we're going to discuss a topic thatmost would think only applies to women.
(00:21):
But that's not the case.
Now we're going to go over it all
mammograms, risk factorsand what men need to keep in mind.
Joining us is Danny Fitzgerald.
Thank you for being here Danielle.
Tell us a little bitabout what you do at Jackson High.
Well, I'mthe director of radiology services
at our JacksonNorth Medical Center location.
So let's start with getting the elephantout of the room.
(00:42):
Do men really need toconsider their breast health?
Simply stated. Yes.
They need to be aware that breast canceris not just a women's disease.
So it's importantfor them to be self aware and know that
although their risk is small,that risk still exists.
So what are the signsand symptoms specific to men
(01:02):
that would prompt themto make an appointment?
So typically mendon't do regular screening.
So it would be important
that they would be awareof the way that their breasts feel,
so that if they got a lump, they would notice it and see their doctor,
and then sometimes their symptomswould manifest as changes in the nipple.
(01:24):
So the nipple can give a discharge.
It can turn inward.We call that inversion.
Or it can simply itch.
So they would be recognizing signsand symptoms that are changes for them.
Would they be noticing it in both breastsor one side or is it the other.
What's what do you see commonly.
So commonlywhen we see male breast cancer
(01:46):
patients typically the lumpand the symptoms are unilateral.
There is a condition called gynecomastia,which is men can feel,
lumps behind both nipplenipples is the typical location.
And, that's a benign condition.
But they should be aware,you know, either time.
(02:06):
I mean, even if they were to feel changesand they had, you know, symptoms
of gynecomastia and it was both breasts,
it would be importantto see the physician.
And while we know this is something rarefor men
to even deal with in the first place,what are the risk factors for men?
Is it, like bloodline?
Would you knowif someone in your family had it?
What are those different thingsthat they need to know?
(02:27):
So for men, the risk risk factors
are, you know,not that different from women for men.
Typically,breast cancer manifests at an older age.
So typically after age 60,you talked about genetics.
Certainly if somebody has breast cancerin their family,
that can increase their incidenceof having breast cancer.
(02:48):
But, lifestyle things are importantbecause those things are avoidable.
And they can help you reduce your risk.
So you don't want to havea sedentary lifestyle.
Drinking a lot of alcohol,
a poor diet, obesity, all of those thingsare going to contribute.
(03:09):
And also, you know, uses of hormones.
So if somebody has had radiationtherapy to the chest
or a man is being treated with hormonetherapy for, you know, a different,
type of cancer,all of those things can impact their risk.
That was going to be my next questionfor you, Danny.
If there's any diet or lifestyle changesthat men could consider.
I mean, I know a poor dietand lack of moving
(03:32):
can cause a lot of different things,but where are we saying that?
Changing your diet,living a healthier lifestyle,
making sure to exercise 30 minutesa day would make a difference?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And not just for for breast cancer risk.
You know, every risk, right?
So when we're talking to these men,we know that they have symptoms,
that we know they have signs.
And it's their first appointmentat your department.
(03:54):
How do we walk them through that process?
What should they expect?
So for men that come, you know,to have what we consider typically
as women's imaging first and foremost,often, you know, they're very quiet.
But, you know, their doctors are goingto send them for the same screening tests
for their symptomsthat a woman is going to have.
So the first step, typicallythey're going to have a, mammogram.
(04:16):
Okay.
So men undergo the same type of testing,the same positions
as a woman would undergo.
And then often it's collaborativeimaging with ultrasound.
So we'll educate them.
You know,they're going to come to the department.
And the technologistis going to explain what they can expect.
You know, most timesthey don't have a lot of questions,
(04:36):
but it's a very straightforwardexam for them,
and they want to experiencea great amount of discomfort.
Oh, that's great to hearbecause I can imagine
you're dealing with the physical issueswith possibly having breast cancer,
but the mental stigma around it
too, may be difficult to makethat first appointment or even show up.
So are we comforting them?
Do we handle them with a little bitmore care?
(04:57):
So we always have them.
You know, we respect their privacy, right?
Because it's like, you know,the way you put it is a very good way.
They would be a little bitmore uncomfortable and maybe just,
you know, maybe even embarrassed
just because it'sa different type of thing,
you know,you wouldn't be expecting to have.
But they all do very wellonce they understand.
(05:17):
And, you know,
they've been educated most timestheir physicians have made them aware.
So they're looking reallyto have an imaging,
diagnosis at that point.
And once we reachthat point of diagnosis, is it
I hate to put a generalizationon all the different men that you see
that deal with breast cancer, but atwhat stage are they at in this process?
(05:40):
Do they tend to end up later onin the process or later on in the stages
of breast cancer, or is it early enoughto do preventative measures?
So, so normally the men,they are a little bit
more advanced, in the process,but they still have very good prognosis.
So they undergo the same type of biopsiesthat women
have to actually get the tissuepathologic, diagnosis.
(06:02):
And then they're treated,you know, very similar.
There, you know, excision is obviously,
less dramatic,you know, than it is for a woman
because of,you know, the way we think of our bodies
and how we associate,you know, ourselves with, identity.
But they they do very well.
They do very well,but they are usually older, and it's
(06:23):
usually a little, furtherbecause you're not expecting it.
Right?
And while we know all of these factsabout men's breast health now, I think
that doesn't discount kind of reiteratingthe things that women need to know.
When do we start regular screenings?
When do we start mammograms?
So the American Cancer Societyis always going to be the guiding voice
(06:44):
on, you know, recommendationsfor, you know, starting screening.
So currently the American CancerSociety recommends that women
start screening at age 45,with the option to begin at 40.
And then after age 50 is every year.
So we, as you know, womengym women's imaging professionals.
We recommend, of course, any timesomebody has a change that you be seeing.
(07:07):
Right.
And that's so important to just reiteratebecause we know the earlier
you get screened or the earlier
you'd be able to catch somethinglike breast cancer, the better
the outcomes are for being ableto treat it.
Is that. Correct? Absolutely.
The earlier that you pick up a symptom,
you stay on your regular screening cycle.
The earlier we find something, the betterthe prognosis.
(07:29):
And over time, since this is sucha message, we we repeat every single year.
There been any advancementsor any innovations
in the technologythat people would be interested in.
So there's always, you know, effortsbecause, you know, the Kersey
the crusade against breast cancer,you know, never ends.
And it's the, the type of causethat people are really devoted to.
(07:52):
So many, you know, differenttechniques are always being developed.
You know, we're using contrastmammography.
Now, the biggest thing,is that you want to have always
a tumor synthesis mammogram,which is we're using 3D technology.
So this has been around for many,many years.
It's the only thing that we use
in the Jackson Health System,because that allows us to do both
(08:14):
a 2D and a 3D view combo,and it becomes critical
because it allows the radiologistto look at very, very, thin slices.
So we can rule out a lot of things that,you know, say 10 to 15 years ago,
we were doing,you know, more views and we had less
conclusiveimaging evidence of what a finding was.
(08:36):
And now we can be more specific.
So it sounds like we're trulygetting down to the details
to make sure we can providethe best possible care for our patients.
Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah.
One question.
Interesting one I may have for you is,is there a particular fact
about breast health specifically for menthat most people don't know
or would surprise most people,besides the fact that they can have
(08:58):
breast cancer in the first place?Of course.
I guess there's not really anything,you know,
surprisingthat sort of jumps out at me to share.
I think it's just that.
They just need to be aware.
Yeah.
And you know that the,the imaging services
that are available to them, it's simple,
(09:19):
to be treated and, you know,they can have a very good prognosis.
One thing I want is
I know we didn't get to touch on thisa little bit, but Self-exams right.
I remember from a while ago,breast cancer runs in my family,
and my mother taught mehow to do a self-exam.
Does that apply for men as well?
I think that body awarenessis the critical,
(09:42):
most important thing for anybodyto protect themselves from breast cancer.
It's important to touch your body.
So while it's not something that we statethat men should be doing a breast
self-exam, maybe there's, you know,the opportunity to reconsider that.
But I think that, you know,they should always be aware
of how, you know, their,
(10:03):
their breast feels because they are goingto be the first person.
Right?
You know, it's not typicalthat a man goes in to have a physical exam
and they undergo a clinical breast examby their physician.
Right. It's just.
You wouldn't.
It's not part of,you know, prescribed care as opposed to
when a woman goes for her annual women'swellness, they're going to have a clinical
(10:24):
breast exam by their provider.
But we know that most,lumps are found by the women themselves.
So it stands to reasonthat it would be the same for men.
Danny, one final question for you.
Is there anything else that we didn'tget to touch on or important information
that we want to share?
I think it's
important to share that as a Jacksonhealth system,
we do have two locationsthat provide all of breast health imaging.
(10:48):
And that is the JacksonMemorial Hospital location and Jackson
North Medical Center.
And we do have partnerships with grantsso we can do outreach
to the community, to uninsured, women.
And we welcome the opportunityto take care of them.
Absolutely. Because knowledge is power.
And when they see you guys,they're in good hands.
Thank you so much.
It's really been fun to be here today.
(11:09):
Thank you, Danny, for your expertise.
All right. So straight from the source.
When it comes to breast health,
the issue is found in the tissue for womenand for men.
But the take home message is that earlydetection really makes a difference.
Thanks for watching on call off script.
Don't forget to follow our Jackson
social media accounts at Jackson Health,and stay tuned for our next episode.
I might.
I might have.
We often think of breast canceras a women's issue.
But did you knowmen can be affected as well?
This is on call offscript, a Jackson Health System podcast.
I'm your host world champion,
and we're going to discuss a topic thatmost would think only applies to women.
(00:21):
But that's not the case.
Now we're going to go over it all
mammograms, risk factorsand what men need to keep in mind.
Joining us is Danny Fitzgerald.
Thank you for being here Danielle.
Tell us a little bitabout what you do at Jackson High.
Well, I'mthe director of radiology services
at our JacksonNorth Medical Center location.
So let's start with getting the elephantout of the room.
(00:42):
Do men really need toconsider their breast health?
Simply stated. Yes.
They need to be aware that breast canceris not just a women's disease.
So it's importantfor them to be self aware and know that
although their risk is small,that risk still exists.
So what are the signsand symptoms specific to men
(01:02):
that would prompt themto make an appointment?
So typically mendon't do regular screening.
So it would be important
that they would be awareof the way that their breasts feel,
so that if they got a lump, they would notice it and see their doctor,
and then sometimes their symptomswould manifest as changes in the nipple.
(01:24):
So the nipple can give a discharge.
It can turn inward.We call that inversion.
Or it can simply itch.
So they would be recognizing signsand symptoms that are changes for them.
Would they be noticing it in both breastsor one side or is it the other.
What's what do you see commonly.
So commonlywhen we see male breast cancer
(01:46):
patients typically the lumpand the symptoms are unilateral.
There is a condition called gynecomastia,which is men can feel,
lumps behind both nipplenipples is the typical location.
And, that's a benign condition.
But they should be aware,you know, either time.
(02:06):
I mean, even if they were to feel changesand they had, you know, symptoms
of gynecomastia and it was both breasts,
it would be importantto see the physician.
And while we know this is something rarefor men
to even deal with in the first place,what are the risk factors for men?
Is it, like bloodline?
Would you knowif someone in your family had it?
What are those different thingsthat they need to know?
(02:27):
So for men, the risk risk factors
are, you know,not that different from women for men.
Typically,breast cancer manifests at an older age.
So typically after age 60,you talked about genetics.
Certainly if somebody has breast cancerin their family,
that can increase their incidenceof having breast cancer.
(02:48):
But, lifestyle things are importantbecause those things are avoidable.
And they can help you reduce your risk.
So you don't want to havea sedentary lifestyle.
Drinking a lot of alcohol,
a poor diet, obesity, all of those thingsare going to contribute.
(03:09):
And also, you know, uses of hormones.
So if somebody has had radiationtherapy to the chest
or a man is being treated with hormonetherapy for, you know, a different,
type of cancer,all of those things can impact their risk.
That was going to be my next questionfor you, Danny.
If there's any diet or lifestyle changesthat men could consider.
I mean, I know a poor dietand lack of moving
(03:32):
can cause a lot of different things,but where are we saying that?
Changing your diet,living a healthier lifestyle,
making sure to exercise 30 minutesa day would make a difference?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And not just for for breast cancer risk.
You know, every risk, right?
So when we're talking to these men,we know that they have symptoms,
that we know they have signs.
And it's their first appointmentat your department.
(03:54):
How do we walk them through that process?
What should they expect?
So for men that come, you know,to have what we consider typically
as women's imaging first and foremost,often, you know, they're very quiet.
But, you know, their doctors are goingto send them for the same screening tests
for their symptomsthat a woman is going to have.
So the first step, typicallythey're going to have a, mammogram.
(04:16):
Okay.
So men undergo the same type of testing,the same positions
as a woman would undergo.
And then often it's collaborativeimaging with ultrasound.
So we'll educate them.
You know,they're going to come to the department.
And the technologistis going to explain what they can expect.
You know, most timesthey don't have a lot of questions,
(04:36):
but it's a very straightforwardexam for them,
and they want to experiencea great amount of discomfort.
Oh, that's great to hearbecause I can imagine
you're dealing with the physical issueswith possibly having breast cancer,
but the mental stigma around it
too, may be difficult to makethat first appointment or even show up.
So are we comforting them?
Do we handle them with a little bitmore care?
(04:57):
So we always have them.
You know, we respect their privacy, right?
Because it's like, you know,the way you put it is a very good way.
They would be a little bitmore uncomfortable and maybe just,
you know, maybe even embarrassed
just because it'sa different type of thing,
you know,you wouldn't be expecting to have.
But they all do very wellonce they understand.
(05:17):
And, you know,
they've been educated most timestheir physicians have made them aware.
So they're looking reallyto have an imaging,
diagnosis at that point.
And once we reachthat point of diagnosis, is it
I hate to put a generalizationon all the different men that you see
that deal with breast cancer, but atwhat stage are they at in this process?
(05:40):
Do they tend to end up later onin the process or later on in the stages
of breast cancer, or is it early enoughto do preventative measures?
So, so normally the men,they are a little bit
more advanced, in the process,but they still have very good prognosis.
So they undergo the same type of biopsiesthat women
have to actually get the tissuepathologic, diagnosis.
(06:02):
And then they're treated,you know, very similar.
There, you know, excision is obviously,
less dramatic,you know, than it is for a woman
because of,you know, the way we think of our bodies
and how we associate,you know, ourselves with, identity.
But they they do very well.
They do very well,but they are usually older, and it's
(06:23):
usually a little, furtherbecause you're not expecting it.
Right?
And while we know all of these factsabout men's breast health now, I think
that doesn't discount kind of reiteratingthe things that women need to know.
When do we start regular screenings?
When do we start mammograms?
So the American Cancer Societyis always going to be the guiding voice
(06:44):
on, you know, recommendationsfor, you know, starting screening.
So currently the American CancerSociety recommends that women
start screening at age 45,with the option to begin at 40.
And then after age 50 is every year.
So we, as you know, womengym women's imaging professionals.
We recommend, of course, any timesomebody has a change that you be seeing.
(07:07):
Right.
And that's so important to just reiteratebecause we know the earlier
you get screened or the earlier
you'd be able to catch somethinglike breast cancer, the better
the outcomes are for being ableto treat it.
Is that. Correct? Absolutely.
The earlier that you pick up a symptom,
you stay on your regular screening cycle.
The earlier we find something, the betterthe prognosis.
(07:29):
And over time, since this is sucha message, we we repeat every single year.
There been any advancementsor any innovations
in the technologythat people would be interested in.
So there's always, you know, effortsbecause, you know, the Kersey
the crusade against breast cancer,you know, never ends.
And it's the, the type of causethat people are really devoted to.
(07:52):
So many, you know, differenttechniques are always being developed.
You know, we're using contrastmammography.
Now, the biggest thing,is that you want to have always
a tumor synthesis mammogram,which is we're using 3D technology.
So this has been around for many,many years.
It's the only thing that we use
in the Jackson Health System,because that allows us to do both
(08:14):
a 2D and a 3D view combo,and it becomes critical
because it allows the radiologistto look at very, very, thin slices.
So we can rule out a lot of things that,you know, say 10 to 15 years ago,
we were doing,you know, more views and we had less
conclusiveimaging evidence of what a finding was.
(08:36):
And now we can be more specific.
So it sounds like we're trulygetting down to the details
to make sure we can providethe best possible care for our patients.
Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah.
One question.
Interesting one I may have for you is,is there a particular fact
about breast health specifically for menthat most people don't know
or would surprise most people,besides the fact that they can have
(08:58):
breast cancer in the first place?Of course.
I guess there's not really anything,you know,
surprisingthat sort of jumps out at me to share.
I think it's just that.
They just need to be aware.
Yeah.
And you know that the,the imaging services
that are available to them, it's simple,
(09:19):
to be treated and, you know,they can have a very good prognosis.
One thing I want is
I know we didn't get to touch on thisa little bit, but Self-exams right.
I remember from a while ago,breast cancer runs in my family,
and my mother taught mehow to do a self-exam.
Does that apply for men as well?
I think that body awarenessis the critical,
(09:42):
most important thing for anybodyto protect themselves from breast cancer.
It's important to touch your body.
So while it's not something that we statethat men should be doing a breast
self-exam, maybe there's, you know,the opportunity to reconsider that.
But I think that, you know,they should always be aware
of how, you know, their,
(10:03):
their breast feels because they are goingto be the first person.
Right?
You know, it's not typicalthat a man goes in to have a physical exam
and they undergo a clinical breast examby their physician.
Right. It's just.
You wouldn't.
It's not part of,you know, prescribed care as opposed to
when a woman goes for her annual women'swellness, they're going to have a clinical
(10:24):
breast exam by their provider.
But we know that most,lumps are found by the women themselves.
So it stands to reasonthat it would be the same for men.
Danny, one final question for you.
Is there anything else that we didn'tget to touch on or important information
that we want to share?
I think it's
important to share that as a Jacksonhealth system,
we do have two locationsthat provide all of breast health imaging.
(10:48):
And that is the JacksonMemorial Hospital location and Jackson
North Medical Center.
And we do have partnerships with grantsso we can do outreach
to the community, to uninsured, women.
And we welcome the opportunityto take care of them.
Absolutely. Because knowledge is power.
And when they see you guys,they're in good hands.
Thank you so much.
It's really been fun to be here today.
(11:09):
Thank you, Danny, for your expertise.
All right. So straight from the source.
When it comes to breast health,
the issue is found in the tissue for womenand for men.
But the take home message is that earlydetection really makes a difference.
Thanks for watching on call off script.
Don't forget to follow our Jackson
social media accounts at Jackson Health,and stay tuned for our next episode.
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