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Both men and women can get breast cancer with the rate of men getting breast cancer is low, just under 1%. In fact, men often pay less attention to abnormal changes in the breast and are often diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage than women. Early recognition and diagnosis help reduce mortality, reduce complications, and improve treatment effectiveness.
1. Symptoms of male breast cancer
How to know if a man has breast cancer? If you have breast cancer, you may notice a lump or raised area in the breast tissue , also some abnormalities in the nipple , such as redness , scabs , discharge , ...
By number Statistically, most men with breast cancer are ductal carcinoma, a rarer adenocarcinoma. That's because men have almost no milk-making glands in their breast tissue. Other less common types are Paget's disease of the nipple and inflammatory breast cancer, which causes the breasts to become hot and swollen.
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2. Causes of male breast cancer
How is breast cancer in men is something that men care about because they think breast cancer only happens in women. Currently, there are no exact studies on the causes of breast cancer in men. Some theories suggest that genetic or endocrine changes are involved. Some other factors that increase the risk of breast cancer in men include:
2.1. Age Men of all ages are susceptible to breast cancer. However, the chance of men getting breast cancer increases with age. The median age at diagnosis of breast cancer in men is 72.
2.2. Alcohol use If you are a regular drinker of alcohol and alcoholic beverages, you have a higher risk of breast cancer. Alcohol can damage the liver, leading to changes in hormone levels in the body, such as increased estrogen levels and with it an increased risk of breast cancer.
2.3. Other conditions Chest radiotherapy for other cancers, estrogen use for prostate cancer or testicular abnormalities (testicular prolapse, ...), unilateral removal surgery testicles, mumps in adulthood, ... increase the risk of men getting breast cancer.
2.4. Genetic factors Having a close relative with breast cancer (male or female) can predispose men to breast cancer. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes Klinefelter syndrome, a syndrome in which boys are born with an XXY sex chromosome instead of the normal XY, increases the risk of breast cancer 20 to 60 times.
3. How is male breast cancer diagnosed?
The doctor will make a diagnosis based on clinical symptoms and necessary tests and images. During a breast exam, your doctor will notice changes in shape and lumps and lumps. Male breast cancer imaging studies are used to check for changes in breast tissue such as mammograms, or ultrasound, biopsies. For a biopsy, the technician will use a fine needle to aspirate breast tissue to take samples and conduct a slide to look at changes in breast tissue.
In addition, breast cancer is diagnosed by computed tomography or positron emission tomography. Breast cancer is divided into 5 stages from 0 to IV. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to other organs, also known as metastases. Breast cancer staging is valuable for doctors to provide more specific treatment regimens.
4. How are men with breast cancer treated?
Surgery is the most common breast cancer treatment for men with breast cancer, usually to remove the breast, including the breast tissue, the nipple and the areola, and all the lymph nodes around where the breast is located. The cancer may have metastasized.
Radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormones can also be used to slow the growth and kill cancer cells.
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5. What to do after breast cancer treatment?
You will have a follow-up visit after surgery to make sure the incision is healing well. During the first 5 years, you should have regular check-ups and tests every 3-6 months, then follow-up every year. You should also have an annual mammogram if you still have one breast.
In addition, you need to pay attention to abnormal changes in the breast, a lot of men think that they will not get breast cancer, so they pay little attention to changes in the breast.
If you are male and have breast cancer, consider having other genetic tests to determine if you have certain genetic mutations that increase your risk of other cancers .
Thus, breast cancer can occur in men as well. Early recognition and diagnosis help reduce mortality, reduce complications, and improve treatment effectiveness. Therefore, when you notice any abnormal image in the breast, you need to see a doctor for examination and advice.
Currently, proactively examining and understanding your body is the most important measure to detect breast cancer early. Women and men should be screened for breast cancer for the best screening. If there is a close relative with cancer in the family, the risk is higher. If a lump or change in the breast is detected, the patient should go to the hospital as soon as possible.
Vinmec Hospital has become a prestigious address in breast cancer screening with:
A team of highly qualified and experienced doctors. Comprehensive professional cooperation with domestic and international hospitals: Singapore, Japan, USA,... Comprehensive patient care and treatment, multi-specialty coordination towards individualizing each patient. Having a full range of specialized facilities for diagnosis and staging before treatment: Endoscopy, CT scan, PET-CT scan, MRI, histopathological diagnosis, gene-cell testing, .. There are a full range of mainstream cancer treatment methods: Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation,...
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