Things to know when men have breast cancer (breast cancer in men) - Part 2

The article was written by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Minh Thuyen - Pathologist, Laboratory Department - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Cancer can start anywhere in the body. Cancer that starts in the breast is called breast cancer. Cancer begins when cells in the breast grow out of control and crowd out normal cells.

There are many ways to treat breast cancer, but the main treatments are local or systemic.
Surgery and radiation to treat cancer without affecting the rest of the body is called local therapy.
Chemo and hormone can reach cancer cells anywhere in the body, called systemic treatment.
Breast cancer is usually treated locally and systemically. The best treatment plan for you will depend on:
The stage and histology of the cancer Chances that the treatment will cure or help the disease Age Other health problems you have How you feel about the treatment and the side effects that come with it

Most men with breast cancer have a mastectomy, which removes all of the tissue in the cancerous breast. Lumpectomy is the removal of only the tumor and some surrounding breast tissue. The downside is that you'll most likely need radiation therapy after surgery. But some patients who have had mastectomy also need radiation therapy afterward.

Men with breast cancer also often need surgery to remove lymph nodes that may have metastasized in the underarm area.
Side effects of surgery
Any type of surgery can have risks and side effects. Talk to your doctor about what you can expect, and let him or her know your problems so they can help you with any that come up.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (such as X-rays) to kill any cancer cells that may be left in the breast, chest, or arm pit after surgery.
There are 2 types of radiation therapy:
External beam radiation: radiation aimed at the breast from a machine outside the body Brachytherapy: radiation can be delivered right into breast tissue near the cancer. Side effects of radiation therapy
If radiation therapy is indicated, discuss possible side effects, depending on the type of radiotherapy. The most common side effects are:
Skin changes in the radiation area Feeling very tired Most of the side effects improve after the treatment ends. Some may last longer. Talk to your cancer care team about what to expect.

Is the use of drugs to fight cancer. Medicines that are given intravenously or orally, enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles, with 2 or more drugs, each cycle being a rest period. Treatment usually lasts for many months.
Chemotherapy side effects
Chemo can make you feel very tired, upset stomach and hair loss, but this will go away after treatment is over.
There are ways to treat most chemotherapy side effects. If there are side effects, talk to your cancer care team so they can help you.

Estrogen and progesterone are generally considered female hormones, but men also produce small amounts. Even these small amounts are enough to cause some breast cancers to develop. Medicines that block the effects of estrogen or reduce estrogen levels may be prescribed to treat these breast cancers, called hormone therapy.
Tamoxifen is the most commonly used estrogen suppression medication, taken once a day, usually for 5 years after surgery, reduces the risk of cancer coming back for some patients.
There are other drugs and other ways to reduce estrogen or progesterone levels against breast cancer.

A clinical trial is a study that tests new drugs or other treatments in people, comparing standard treatments with others that may be better. Clinical trials are the way to advanced cancer treatments, the only way for doctors to find better cancer treatments. If you sign up for a clinical trial, you can always stop at any time.
If you want to learn more about clinical trials that may be right for you, ask your doctor if your clinic or hospital conducts clinical trials.

When you have cancer, you may hear about other ways to treat cancer or treat symptoms. This may not always be the standard medical treatment. They can be vitamins, herbs, special diets and other things. You may have questions about these treatments.
Some of these methods are supportive, some are not, even harmful. Talk to your doctor about anything you're thinking about taking them, whether it's a vitamin, diet, or anything else.
Questions to ask the doctor
What treatment do you think is best for me? What is the goal of this treatment? Do doctors think it can cure cancer? Does treatment include surgery? If so, who will do the surgery? What will the surgery be like? Will I also need other treatments? What are the goals of these treatments? What side effects might I have from these treatments?

What can I do about side effects I may have? Are there any clinical trials that are right for me? Does the doctor know anything about special vitamins or diets that my friends tell me? How do I know if they are safe? What should I do to get ready for treatment? Is there anything I can do to make the treatment more effective? What is the next step? What happens after treatment?

You will feel comfortable when the treatment is over. But there's no need to worry about the cancer coming back (recurring). Even if the cancer doesn't come back, people still worry about it.
For many years after treatment ends, you will still need to see your oncologist for follow-up visits, blood tests and other tests to see if the cancer has come back.
At first, you will have a follow-up visit every 3 to 6 months, then gradually if the disease does not recur. After 5 years, it is possible to re-examine once a year.
If you still have the breast (or part of it), you will need to have a mammogram every year.
Having cancer and dealing with treatment can be difficult, but it can also be a time to see life in new ways. You can think about how to improve your health, talk to your cancer care team to find out what you can do to feel better.
You cannot change the fact that you have cancer. What you can change is how you live the rest of your life - making choices and feeling the best you can.

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Reference article source: American Cancer Society