Male Breast Cancer »
What is male breast cancer?
Men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast
tissue (breast tissue that cannot produce milk) that is concentrated in the area
directly behind the nipple on the chest wall. Like breast cancer in women, cancer of the male breast is the uncontrolled growth of the cells of this breast tissue.
Breast tissue in both young boys and girls consists of tubular structures
known as ducts. At puberty, a girl's
ovaries produce female hormones (estrogen) that cause
the ducts to grow and milk glands (lobules) to develop at the ends of the ducts.
The amount of fat and connective tissue in the breast also increases
as girls reach puberty. On the other hand, male hormones (such as testosterone)
secreted by the testes suppress the
growth of breast tissue and the development
of lobules. The male breast, therefore, is made up of predominantly small,
undeveloped ducts and a small amount of fat and connective tissue....
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