Cancer is Unisex.
It does not differentiate between men and women.
Normally the thought that men can get Breast Cancer is too ridiculous to ponder even, as Men do not have Breasts as compared to women.
Nature has endowed species with both characteristics of male and female in a every single body in every organism.
Example of the male part being present in the Female is the presence of Clitoris which corresponds to the
Penis .
Any disease that affects one sex is also likely to affect the other sex.
“When Mark Doel first noticed spots of blood on his bedsheets, he was not unduly concerned.
Even when a work colleague pointed out that he had a couple of specks on his shirt, the keen badminton player assumed it was dry skin or that he was rubbing against his shirt during sport.
After several months, he visited his GP, who agreed it was probably a skin condition and prescribed cream to help.
In fact, Mark had breast cancer.
‘I had no idea men could get this,’ says Mark, 41, an IT analyst who lives with his wife Despo, also 41, and children Christian, ten, and Chloe, seven, in Morden, Surrey.
‘There was a huge embarrassment factor. It took a while for me to be able to talk about it to anyone.
‘If it had been lung or brain cancer, I could have been more open about it. But there’s a stigma that breast cancer is for women. When I told work I was ill, I couldn’t say the words “breast cancer”, I could only say: “I have cancer in my chest.” ”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2067342/I-didnt-know-MEN-breast-cancer–I-needed-mastectomy.html#ixzz1fdwoMI00
Following are some facts.
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Men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast tissue (breast tissue that cannot produce milk) that is concentrated in the area directly behind the nipple on the chest wall. Like breast cancer in women, cancer of the male breast is the uncontrolled growth of the abnormal cells of this breast tissue.
Breast tissue in both young boys and girls consists of tubular structures known as ducts. Atpuberty, a girl’s ovaries produce female hormones (estrogen) that cause the ducts to grow and milk glands (lobules) to develop at the ends of the ducts. The amount of fat and connective tissue in the breast also increases as girls reach puberty. On the other hand, male hormones (such as testosterone) secreted by the testes suppress the growth of breast tissue and the development of lobules. The male breast, therefore, is made up of predominantly small, undeveloped ducts and a small amount of fat and connective tissue…..
Male breast cancer is a rare condition, accounting for only about 1% of all breast cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2010, about 1,970 new cases of breast cancer in men would be diagnosed and that breast cancer would cause approximately 390 deaths in men (in comparison, almost 40,000 women die of breast cancer each year). Breast cancer is 100 times more common in women than in men. Most cases of male breast cancer are detected in men between the ages of 60 and 70, although the condition can develop in men of any age. A man’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about 1/10 of 1%, or one in 1,000.
As with cancer of the female breast, the cause of cancer of the male breast has not been fully characterized, but both environmental influences and genetic (inherited) factors likely play a role in its development. The following risk factors for the development of male breast cancer have been identified.
Radiation exposure
Exposure to ionizing radiation has been associated with an increased risk of developing male breast cancer. Men who have previously undergoneradiation therapy to treat malignancies in the chest area (for example,Hodgkin’s lymphoma) have an increased risk for the development of breast cancer.
Hyperestrogenism (high levels of estrogen)
Men normally produce small amounts of the female hormone estrogen, but certain conditions result in abnormally high levels of estrogen in men. The term gynecomastia refers to the condition in which the male breasts become abnormally enlarged in response to elevated levels of estrogen. High levels of estrogens also can increase the risk for development of male breast cancer. The majority of breast cancers in men are estrogen receptor-positive (meaning that they grow in response to stimulation with estrogen). Two conditions in which men have abnormally high levels of estrogen that are commonly associated with breast enlargement are Klinefelter’s syndrome and cirrhosis of the liver. Obesity is also associated with elevated estrogen levels and breast enlargement in men…
the American Cancer Society identifies several other worrisome signs involving the breast that men as well as women should take note of. They include:
- Skin dimpling or puckering
- Nipple retraction
- Redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin
http://www.medicinenet.com/male_breast_cancer/article.htm#tocb
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Most men diagnosed with breast cancer are initially treated by surgery. A modified radical mastectomy (removal of the breast, lining over the chest muscles, and portions of the axillary lymph nodes) is the most common surgical treatment of male breast cancer. Sometimes portions of the muscles of the chest wall are also removed.
After surgery, adjuvant therapies are often prescribed. These are recommended especially if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive cancer). Adjuvant therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, andhormone therapy. In cases of metastatic cancer, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or a combination of both, are generally recommended.
Chemotherapy refers to the administration of toxic drugs that stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given as pills, as an injection, or via an intravenous infusion, depending upon the types of drugs chosen. Combinations of different drugs are usually given, and treatment is administered in cycles with a recovery period following each treatment. Some of the most common chemotherapeutic agents for treating breast cancer are cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), fluorouracil, and doxorubicin (Adriamycin). In most cases, chemotherapy is administered on an outpatient basis. Chemotherapy may be associated with unpleasant side effects including hair loss, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy may be delivered either externally (using a machine to send radiation toward the tumor) or internally (radioactive substances placed in needles or catheters and inserted into the body).
Hormonal therapy prevents hormones from stimulating growth of cancer cells and is useful when the cancer cells have binding sites (receptors) for hormones. Over 90% of male breast cancers express estrogen receptors and are most commonly treated with the drug tamoxifen (Nolvadex), which blocks the action of estrogen on the cancer cells. Side effects of tamoxifen treatment can include hot flashes, weight gain, mood changes, andimpotence.
While estrogen is the most common target of hormonal therapy, studies have also shown that treatments directed against the actions of male hormones (anti-androgens) can also reduce the size of male breast cancer metastases. The reasons why anti-androgens are effective in widespread disease are not fully understood. Orchiectomy (removal of the testes) was formerly performed to lower androgen levels, but newer nonsurgical methods are currently favored. Drugs known as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs affect the pituitary gland and result in lowered production of male hormones by the testes.
Targeted therapy involves agents that are designed to specifically target one of the cancer-specific changes in cells. An example of targeted therapy is trastuzumab (Herceptin), a monoclonal antibody that blocks the activity the protein known as HER-2-neu that is made by some breast cancers. This treatment is only used in breast cancers whose cells express the HER-2-neu protein and is given intravenously. Trastuzumab has been shown to be effective in women with breast cancer but has not been extensively tested in men with breast cancer. Similarly, lapatinib (Tykerb) is a drug taken in pill form that also targets the HER2/neu protein. It is used in combination with other agents to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that is no longer responsive to trastuzumab.
http://www.medicinenet.com/male_breast_cancer/page4.htm#toci
The information provided is to familiarize people on the subject.
Consult your Physician(GP) for professional advice.
Related articles
- Five Facts on Breast Cancer in Honor of National Mammography Day (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
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