A breast tumor or cancer is suspected if the guy has a hard lump underneath the nipple and areola. Male breast cancer exhibits the same symptoms as female breast cancer, including a lump. Male breast cancer may also cause skin changes around the nipple. These include:
- Redness or sores on the chest or nipple area
- An inverted nipple (nipple is pulled inward)
- Discharge from the nipple
- Redness or scaling of the skin covering the breast
- Thickening of the breast tissue
- Nipple pain
- Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm
It is important to note that breast enlargement is not a sign of breast cancer. The medical term for enlarged breasts is gynecomastia. Sometimes, the breast size can increase disproportionately. A few causes of breast enlargement include:
Breast cancer, when detected early, is treatable. Do not delay consulting a physician if any of these symptoms appear. Postponing the treatment can cause cancer to spread to other tissues.
Can men have breast cancer?
Male breast cancer is a rare condition, accounting for only 1 percent of all breast cancers.
The reason for the male to have breast cancer is that even males have rudimentary breast tissues from embryonic development. The difference between a male breast and a female breast is in the amount of tissue.
Before hitting puberty, the breast tissue is similar in boys and girls. It comprises fat, potential milk-producing glands called lobules, and ducts that transport milk to the nipples.
Once puberty hits a girl, their ovaries start to produce female hormones (estrogen) that cause the breasts to grow. Boys produce male hormones (testosterone) that suppress the growth of breast tissue.
Most breast cancer cases are identified between the ages of 60 and 70 years.
QUESTION
What percentage of the human body is water? See AnswerWhat are the different types of male breast cancer?
The different types of cancer found in men include:
- Ductal carcinoma: This is cancer that originates in the milk duct. It is the most common type of male breast cancer.
- Lobular carcinoma: This is cancer that originates in the milk-producing gland. It is the rarest type of cancer found in men because they have a few lobules in their breast tissue.
- Inflammatory breast cancer: It is a type of breast cancer in which the breast looks red and swollen and feels warm.
- Paget disease of the nipple: A tumor that has grown from ducts beneath the nipple onto the surface of the nipple.
Which men are more likely to get breast cancer?
Men with the following risk factors are more likely to get breast cancer:
- A strong family history of breast cancer or genetic mutations
- Previous radiation exposure of the chest
- Gynecomastia due to drug, hormone treatments, infections, or poisons
- Cirrhosis or other severe liver diseases
- Obesity
- A rare genetic condition called Klinefelter syndrome
- High estrogen levels
- Age between 60 and 70 years
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References
WebMD. Breast Cancer in Men. https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-men#1-3
Breastcancer.org. The Risk Factors for Male Breast Cancer. breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/male_bc/risk
Breastcancer.org. The Risk Factors for Male Breast Cancer. breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/male_bc/risk
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anastrozole
Anastrozole is a medication used in the treatment of certain types of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Anastrozole is used in different stages of breast cancer to prevent, halt or slow down the progression of cancer growth. Common side effects of anastrozole include hot flashes, dilation of blood vessels, high blood pressure (hypertension), cardiovascular disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction), ischemic cerebrovascular event, blood clot block in vein (venous thromboembolic event), deep venous thromboembolic event, inflammation with clot in the vein (thrombophlebitis), chest pain related to coronary artery disease (angina pectoris), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia), gastrointestinal disorder, loss of appetite (anorexia), dry mouth (xerostomia), joint inflammation (arthritis), and others. Do not take if pregnant, you may become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
Breast Cancer in Children
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer globally. It is mostly seen in women, whereas men are rarely affected. Breast tumors are occasionally seen in children and are mostly benign (noncancerous) and thought to be harmless. Breast lumps in children are known as fibroadenomas, and girls are more likely to develop these tumors. There is no standard staging of breast cancer in children.
Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
exemestane
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Zoladex (goserelin acetate) implant is a GnRH agonist used to treat advanced breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometriosis, and endometrial thinning. Serious side effects vary depending on the condition treated.