Can a male get breast cancer? Yes, a male can get it too.

Neethu Sheri Kurian

Content Specialist
4baseCare

Can a male get breast cancer? Yes, it’s rare, but cancer of male breast accounts 1% of all male cancerous occurrences and about 1 in 100 (about 1% again) of all breast cancer cases in males and females.

Began at 2002, International Men’s Health Week (IMHW) is celebrated each year in June to focus on issues facing men’s health. For us, this year’s Men’s Health Week is about spreading awareness about Breast Cancer in males.

Since breast cancer is more prevalent in women, men aren’t typically taught the risk factors or potential symptoms of it. Lump in the nipple, breast skin color changes and scaling on & around nipple are some of the common symptoms which are ignored due to lack of awareness and knowledge.

This means that breast cancer diagnosed in men can potentially have worse disease complications than women, because they might not know the meaning of the symptoms or might feel ashamed of having a ‘women’s disease’. However, timely detection of this cancer can increase the remission rate.

The breast tissues both in men and women before adolescence remain in small amounts including milk ducts. With the onset of puberty, women develop more of these structures, but men have them in the same amount and non-functional. When these ducts begin to grow excessively, they start invading the surrounding tissues of other body parts. This unusual increase in tissue structure is called Carcinoma and is by far the most common breast cancer type in males.  Paget’s disease of the nipple and inflammatory breast cancer are other types of men’s breast cancer.

Though it’s a rare but is a deadly disease, the survival rate in males with breast cancer is lesser than in females. Hence it should be diagnosed timely.

Since it’s a rare condition in males hence they are left out of clinical trials for breast cancer. More studies will shed light on possible reasons for males getting breast cancer. Despite this being so rare, why do some men get it?

Inheritance of gene mutation can increase higher chances of developing breast cancer. Also, this inherited gene mutation has a 50% chance of passing that mutation to their children. Because of these unforeseen and unknown possible reasons males with breast cancer or having the symptoms are recommended to have genetic testing to see if they carry a mutation or not. If they carry, the oncologist may prescribe them a personalised cancer treatment so that chances of survival can be increased and passage to the children can be hindered.

Men with BRCA 1 or 2 mutation are at 8 times higher risk than women.

Here at 4baseCare, our Genetic Testing Researchers and Counselors work hard to make the men with breast cancer feel cared for. Counseling offered by our Genetic Counselor not only helps the patient understand the symptom but also helps him care for his family members

Advanced Genomic Solutions offered by 4baseCare are specialized to detect and diagnose male breast cancer. If you feel any symptoms related to breast cancer and are concerned about to it – do talk to your doctor or schedule a counseling session with our Genetic Counselor at info@4basecare.com