Like women, men have mammary glands and are also likely to have the breast cancer. For every hundred cases of breast cancer in women, there is one case ofbreast cancer in men, being a very rare and poorly studied type of cancer.
Studies show that the average age of men affected by breast cancer ranges from 60 to 70 years old, concluding that this type of cancer tends to be diagnosed at a later age than at women. In most cases of male breast cancer, the detection of the disease is done at an advanced stage, which makes treatment difficult, and there may be metastasis and sometimes death.
Like other cancers, male breast cancer has its cause still unknown, but experts believe that some factors can trigger the disease, such as:
→ Genetic factors: some research shows that some men who have had the disease have a family history of breast cancer;
→ Environmental factors: some authors describe that this type of breast cancer is associated with the person's type of work, such as workers who have greater exposure to high temperatures, workers in chemical industries, soap and Perfumes;
→ Hormonal factors: the use of hormones can cause hyperestrogenism, which is a disorder related to sex hormones, which increases the chances of developing breast cancer;
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→ Other factors that can trigger the disease are: orchitis, infertility, late puberty, cryptorchidism (non-descending of one or both testicles into the scrotum), inguinal hernia congenital, orchiectomy (surgical removal of the testicle, normally due to tumor processes), overweight and a diet rich in fats.
Many cases of male breast cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage due to non-performance of self-examination, prejudice, or even even because of the difficulty that health professionals have to diagnose the disease, and in some cases the nodule was felt by the partner of the men. You symptoms of male breast cancer are the appearance of a nodule in the areola (nipple) region, nipple secretions, nipple retraction, changes in breast volume, and nipple ulceration.
O diagnosis used to detect male breast cancer is done through the patient's history and tests such as mammography, ultrasound and tumor biopsy.
O treatment of male breast cancer will depend on the stage of the tumor, and can be done through surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
It is important to remember that this type of cancer can progress and migrate to other tissues and organs in a process we call metastasis, which may cause the individual's death.
By Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
MORAES, Paula Louredo. "Male breast cancer"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/doencas/cancer-mama-masculino.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
