Mens Breat Cancer Awareness Week

 

Mens Breat Cancer Awareness Week

Breast Cancer Knows No Gender: Let’s Raise Awareness for Men, Too!

Around one out of 100 of all breast cancer cases affect men. Due to the small number of people affected, research in this area has not been given high priority to date. Most experience in diagnostics and therapy is gathered from women and transferred to the situation of men. There are also hardly any support services that are specifically tailored to men with breast cancer.

As there are no breast cancer screening programs for men, the disease is usually diagnosed in men at a later stage than in women. In addition, men with problems in the breast area are not initially aware of breast cancer. Therefore, more time passes until diagnosis, which delays the start of treatment. As a result, the survival rate of men with breast cancer is lower than that of women.

How Does Breast Cancer Develop in Men?

But where does breast cancer in men develop? How is it possible that men with diverse anatomy and hormonal condition present the same clinical picture?

The physical basis for breast cancer is the rudimentary presence of breast tissue in men. Until puberty, the breasts of boys and girls are almost identical. The milk ducts, glandular tissue and connective and fatty tissue only begin to grow in girls as a result of the female sex hormones. However, the mammary ducts are also found in men and this is exactly where 90 percent of breast cancers originate, as the mammary duct cells are particularly susceptible to the development of breast cancer. The smaller size of the milk ducts is also the reason for the lower incidence of breast cancer in men.

In most cases, breast cancer is dependent on the sex hormone estrogen, i.e. it can only develop and grow with estrogen. Although it is considered a female hormone, both men and women have estrogen in their hormone balance, even if the proportion in men is much lower than in women. The hormone is produced from hormonal precursors, such as the male sex hormone testosterone, with the help of the enzyme aromatase. This process mainly takes place in fatty tissue, but female hormones are also produced in the testicles. Causes of increased estrogen levels in men can be severe obesity or liver disease.

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Men

The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age in both men and women. Other risk factors are also the same as those found in women. These include increased alcohol consumption, little exercise and being overweight. Local exposure to radiation also increases the risk of breast cancer.

Possible risk factors that can occur in men in particular are undescended testicles, previous testicular inflammation or epididymitis. Men with breast cancer often have gynecomastia — an enlargement of the mammary glands.

Klinefelter syndrome is also a genetic risk factor in men. In this genetic anomaly, the man has one or more additional X chromosomes. Men with Klinefelter syndrome have a 20 to 60-fold increased risk of breast cancer. Other genetic conditions, such as mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2 or CHEK2 genes, can also increase the risk of breast cancer in men.

Symptoms of Male Breast Cancer

Symptoms of male breast cancer are lumps and inflammation in the breast area that do not heal, as well as hardened or enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit. Other warning signs can be fluid secretion from the nipple and changes to the breast skin or a retraction of the nipple. At an advanced stage, breast cancer in men can manifest itself as bone pain caused by skeletal metastases, weight loss, reduced performance, coughing, shortness of breath and also jaundice or liver weakness. Lymph node metastases in the armpits can lead to swelling of the arm.

Diagnosis of Male Breast Cancer

If these symptoms occur, the same examinations are usually carried out as for women with suspected breast cancer, i.e. ultrasound and mammography examinations. If necessary, further examinations are recommended. It is important to differentiate between breast cancer and benign breast swelling (gynecomastia), which often occurs in men. A biopsy is the next step in the diagnosis. A tissue sample is taken and examined.

Therapy of Male Breast Cancer

When a male is diagnosed with breast cancer, his treatment options are virtually the same as those for women. In a comparable manner all affected tissue must be removed. It is also necessary to examine the lymph nodes in the armpit. Cancer cells are likely to be discovered in the lymph nodes at a rate of 35–40 percent. Men have significantly less breast tissue than women, hence the entire breast is routinely removed.

In addition to the surgical operation, depending on the size and features of the tumor, additional radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or antibody therapy may be administered to eradicate any remaining cancer cells in the body.

Because breast cancer cells in men typically proliferate in a hormone-dependent manner, anti-hormonal therapy is advised in most situations. During therapy, the risk of recurrence and recovery are comparable to those of female breast cancer. The decisive factor is always the stage at which the disease is discovered and the treatment management. Collaboration between the various specialties in the breast centers and cooperation with the doctors in private practice is crucial to the success of the treatment.

Support of Male Breast Cancer Patients

In recent years, the topic of breast cancer in men has become less taboo. It is no longer as unknown as it was a few years ago that men can also develop breast cancer. Information websites started to focus on breast cancer in men, such as HIS Breast Cancer Awareness which offers support and education.

Men with breast cancer may need special psychological support. It is helpful to know, that you are not alone in such a situation. There are now websites where men can share their experiences. The Men’s Virtual Meet-Up (VMU) is a monthly meeting on Zoom for men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s a place where they can talk openly and share their experiences with other men — to know that although breast cancer in men is unusual — they are not alone

You can also read about two male breast cancer survivors from UAE sharing their stories in Gulf News. You can fight it: Male breast cancer survivors in Dubai speak | Health — Gulf News

Don´t stay alone. Get informed. Fight for your health.

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Quellen:

Netzwerk “Männer mit Brustkrebs e.V.“ http://www.brustkrebs-beim-mann.de/

Onkopedia Leitlinie „Mammakarzinom des Mannes“, Stand: August 2016. https://www.onkopedia.com/de/onkopedia/guidelines/mammakarzinom-des-mannes/@@view/html/index.html

Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg — Krebsinformationsdienst: Brustkrebs bei Männern: https://www.krebsinformationsdienst.de/tumorarten/brustkrebs/brustkrebs-mann/index.php Gibis, Sonja: Nicht nur Frauensache. In: Apothekenumschau. Hrsg: Becker, Marc. Wort & Bild Verlag Konradshöhe. Juni 2017.

Letzte inhaltliche Aktualisierung am: 01.06.2022

TheKnowHow Independent Second Opinion Service

Have you been diagnosed with breast cancer? You are overwhelmed or unsure about what to do know?

The KnowHow Independent Second Opinion Service is not intended to take you away from your treating doctor, but rather provide an extra level of competence.

Get an unbiased assessment from an international expert without having to travel or schedule appointments. Our impartial specialists conduct a record-based assessment of your current health state and all available treatment options, including their advantages and potential hazards.

Read more on PATIENTS and SECOND OPIGNION REQUEST