Types Of Male Breast Cancer

Male breast cancer is a very uncommon occurrence, and only one percent of breast cancer cases are those of male breast cancer, men should be aware of the risks to prevent such a happening. Male breast cancer, like any other cancer, occurs when there is a growth of malignant cells in the breast. The vulnerability for developing breast cancer in males becomes greater with age, and most male breast cancer cases occur in men between 60 years to 70 years of age. Risk factors include high levels of estrogen, which come with Klinefelter's disease (an abnormality when a man has two X chromosomes with one Y chromosome, compared to the usual one X and one Y chromosome) and cirrhosis (a liver disease), radiation exposure, heredity, obesity and high alcohol intake.

Mutation of genes is also a risk factor. Mutation in genes like BRCA1 or BRCA2 increases the chance of you developing breast cancer, and such mutations generally occur during your life and have not been passed on through heredity. Otherwise, men have a significantly higher chance of developing breast cancer due to heredity; about thirty out of hundred men do get it in this manner, compared to just 5% to 10% female breast cancer victims. Men show similar symptoms as women when it comes to breast cancer, like a lump in the breast, the peau d'orange syndrome, where the skin of the breast appears indented, like that of an orange, fluid discharge from nipples, thickness of breasts, change in breast size and skin around the nipples, and the breast skin appearing red.

If you think you have a chance of developing breast cancer, get your breast clinically examined regularly. The best method for diagnosis is always a biopsy. Mammograms, ultrasounds, and examination of your nipple discharge can also be done, to detect lumps and cancer cell presence. If you are diagnosed with the cancer, do get your tissue tested for the presence of female hormones like estrogen and progesterone, since these hormones increase cancer activity, and can be removed by treatments. Men can have non-invasive or in situ cancers, which have not spread outside the breast area, or invasive tumors that can spread out.

Removal of lump in non invasive cancers - which is usually the first stage of cancer - is recommended. Invasive cancers vary from Stage I to Stage IV, depending upon how advanced the cancer is. Stage I cancers almost always get treated.

Mortality rate keeps going higher, depending upon the stage. By Stage IV, the cancer becomes metastatic and spreads to body organs. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy are adopted to control cancer growth in the last stage, when total cure becomes difficult. For all other stages, treating male breast cancer is hardly different from treating female breast cancer.

Leading a healthy life during treatment is quintessential. Abstinence from alcohol and curing weight problems go a long way in both prevention and cure of breast cancer. You will always have family and friends for all the help and support you need, and you should never stop yourself from availing that help. Rest assured, you will lead a perfectly happy life thereafter.

Maybe you have never heard of male breast cancer symptoms. If you think you have signs of cancer then get all information about breast cancer treatments