Can breast cancer develop in men?

Have you ever heard of breast cancer? I'm sure the name of this disease sounds pretty familiar to you… But how about today we talk about breast cancer in men?

What is breast cancer and what types are there?

Breast cancer is a disease that occurs in a person's breast tissue in which breast cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells. Therefore, depending on the cells that are affected , breast cancer in men can be of different types:

• Ductal carcinoma: it is cancer that begins in the mammary ducts (those that carry milk to the nipples ) and is the most common among men .
• Lobular carcinoma: is the type of cancer that develops in the milk - producing glands . However, it is rare in men, since we have very few mammary lobes .
• Other types of cancer : diseases such as inflammatory breast cancer , among others, are very rare among men , but they can also occur.

Is there breast cancer in men?

Although it is rare for men to suffer from this type of disease , we are not excluded from being able to suffer from it. This is because when it occurs in a person's breast tissue , both men and women can manifest it regardless of sex, since we are all born with a small amount of said tissue . However, it is at the stage of puberty that women develop more tissue in this area than we do, so they are usually more likely to have it. However, and although it is not the most common, in the case of men the most common thing is to see it in older people , although it can also manifest in some younger people.

What are the causes of breast cancer in men?

However, doctors are clear that they prefer to base themselves on the facts: although the definitive cause of breast cancer in men is still not known with certainty , they assure that as a consequence of the majority of cells in the breast dividing, an accumulation is created of these that can cause a tumor that, if it does not receive adequate treatment, can spread to nearby tissues , thus producing a metastasis .

However, genetics can also be one of the reasons why a man may suffer from breast cancer . On some occasions, men inherit abnormal -or mutated- genes from their parents that can increase the risk of disease in the breast area or in the prostate area, for example. Therefore, it is essential that if you have a family history of any cancer of this type, you have routine check-ups every so often.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

In addition, there are some risk factors that make the development of this disease possible :

• Advanced age: with the passing of the years , the risk of having breast cancer increases considerably; especially after the age of 60.
• Hormone therapy: the consumption of drugs related to estrogen (often diagnosed for the treatment of other diseases) can cause an increased risk of breast cancer in men, since the levels of this hormone would increase and exceed the usual amount in the men . When the disease manifests itself due to this factor, it is called hormone -sensitive breast cancer .
• Klinefelter syndrome: it is a genetic condition that causes the boy to be born with more than one X chromosome , so the testicles do not develop properly. As a result, a hormone imbalance occurs in your body , decreasing androgen levels and replacing them with estrogens.
• Liver diseases: some diseases, among which liver cirrhosis is found , can cause hyperestrogenism in men, drastically decreasing the levels of male hormones and considerably increasing the female ones .
• Overweight and obesity: obesity is directly related to the amount of estrogen in the body , so it can increase the risk of male breast cancer.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer in men?

Therefore, it is clear that it is essential to treat the disease in time if we suffer from it. But... do we really know how to detect the symptoms ?

As it is not a very common disease among men, it is normal that we are less aware than women of the symptoms that it can produce in our bodies. Therefore, it is important that you know them from now on so that you can carry out a routine control from time to time. Among the most common symptoms are:

• Appearance of a lump or thickening of the breast tissue : with or without pain.
• Changes in the epidermis that covers the breast: in these cases we must look at wrinkles , flaking , irritation or dimples that may appear in the area.
• Sinking of the nipple : not only can it sink in , but, on certain occasions, it can also suffer from desquamation or irritation .
• Nipple discharge . _

Is there treatment for breast cancer in men?

If we detect the disease at a fairly early stage , it is very likely that the chances of a cure are very high . However, this type of cancer in men has a higher mortality rate than in women if it is detected in a more developed phase .

In any case, breast cancer is usually treated by surgery where the breast tissue is removed , in addition to completing the treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy in many cases.

Now that you know everything you need to detect breast cancer ... Now you know! If you notice any of these symptoms , it costs nothing to have a routine check from time to time (and that way you stay calm).