Male Survivors Remind Us That Men Get Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that is often associated with women, but the truth is, men are at risk of developing this cancer as well. Even though the only a very small percentage of men are diagnosed with breast cancer, it is still important to consider that fact that it can affect men and can have just as big of an impact among men. The American Cancer Society reports that, while breast cancer is approximately 100 times more common among women than it is among men, it still affects around one in every 1000 men. They continue to report that approximately 2,600 new cases of this cancer is diagnosed in men each year and that an average of 440 men dies from breast cancer every year.

Breast Cancer Among Men: The Risk Factors
Even though breast cancer among is relatively rare, it is still important to know about the risk factors in order to determine if you are at a higher risk of developing this type of cancer. WebMD reports that breast cancer will not likely develop in a man if he has not reached the age of 35 yet. They also report that breast cancer diagnosis among men are most common between the ages of 60 years and 70 years. Furthermore, they report that numerous risk factors have been identified, including:

• Previous exposure to radiation in the chest region.
• Taking estrogen supplements or treatments, such as products that are specifically developed for women.
• Klinefelter’s syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder.
• Cirrhosis, a liver disease that is known to be severely harmful to the human body.
• Gynecomastia, also known as an enlargement of the breasts. This condition is often caused by hormone treatments, but may also be caused by infections, poisons and certain drugs.
• Testicular diseases, including mumps orchitis.
• Injury to the testicles, as well as undescended testicles.
• Diagnosed breast cancer in a female relative.

Breast Cancer Among Men: The Symptoms
The fact that men are less likely to develop breast cancer also causes men to be less cautious of lumps that develop within their breast tissue. This often leads to a late diagnosis of the cancer, which provides the cancer with an opportunity to spread towards the tissue surrounding the breasts. Knowing the symptoms can help men determine if they have cancer developing in their breasts at an early stage, thus increasing the chance of women health treatment and recovery.

Mayo Clinic that the most common sign of breast cancer among male patients is a lump that develops in the breast tissue. They explain that the lump is usually painless. In some cases, the breast tissue also become thicker. Other signs to look out for includes changes to the nipples and the skin that covers the breasts. Dimpling, scaling or puckering skin may all be a sign of breast cancer, as well as scaling nipples or a sudden inward appearance of a nipple. Furthermore, they report that breast cancer may also lead to discharge from the nipple on the side that is affected by the cancer.

Inspirational Stories From Breast Cancer Survivors
October is known as breast cancer month. A month where people from all over the world dress in pink in order to support all of the women who have survived breast cancer. The question here is – what about the men who survived breast cancer… why are they not also supported just like women is supported during the month of October. This is a concern that was made public by Michael Singer, a breast cancer survivor. Michael was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2010 and was able to survive the cancerous invasion in his breast. He continues to explain that he was disappointed after seeing NFL players wearing pink during a recent game – the color that people all over the world associate with breast cancer survivors. Michael explains that many people tend to forget that breast cancer can develop in men too and that he felt frustrated when he sees no one supporting male survivors as well. For this reason, Michael is advocating to deem the week between October 16 and October 22 as breast cancer awareness week for men.

Conclusion
When we hear the term “breast cancer”, we tend to think about women. We also tend to dress up in pink clothes and dye our hair pink in October – thus showing our support for all of the women who have been able to fight against and survive breast cancer. The problem here is not the fact that people are showing their support, but rather the fact that people easily forget that there are men who have fought against and survived breast cancer as well. This all causes a raise for concern about breast cancer awareness among men, especially due to the fact that the cancer is often diagnosed at a much later stage in men than in women.

References

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancerinmen/detailedguide/breast-cancer-in-men-key-statistics

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/breast-cancer-men#1