Men and Breast Cancer:The Misconception.

Men and Breast Cancer: The Misconception.

When we think of breast cancer, we usually picture women, but it’s not just a woman’s issue …men can develop breast cancer as well. There are so many misconceptions when this topic arise, but it is much needed.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 2,470 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed and 460 of those…will be men who will die from this disease. I didn’t say it; ACS did.

For men, there is 1 in 1000 chance of developing breast cancer, but without preventing and treating the outcome could still prove deathly.

I contacted numerous men –asking about their perception of “men and breast”; a few, looked at me with blank stares, as if men with breast don’t exist, and the ones that did answer had things to say like:

  • Breast Cancer is only for fat dudes
  • I don’t worry about that…rare in men
  • As long as I stay active and eat right nothing will happen to me
  • There is no way I would get it
  • I don’t know enough…

I was stunned at the dispassionate uncaring altitudes that these men exhibit towards this issue, maybe because society has depicted this, “a woman only” problem. That’s not true, Paget’s disease is a type of cancer that begins in the ducts of the nipple. Although it is usually in situ, it can also be an invasive cancer. It is more common in men than in women.

Other types of Breast Cancer:

  • Ductal carcinoma. These cancers start in the cells lining the milk ducts and make up the majority of breast cancers.
    • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is a non-invasive precancer that is located only in the duct. It is uncommon in men.
    • Invasive or infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). This is cancer that has spread outside of the duct. Most men with breast cancer have invasive ductal carcinomas.
  • Lobular carcinoma. This starts in the lobules.
    • Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). LCIS is located only in the lobules. LCIS is not considered cancer. However, LCIS in 1 breast is a risk factor for developing invasive breast cancer in both breasts (see the Risk Factors section for more information.)
    • Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). This is cancer that has spread outside the lobule.

Other, less common types of breast cancer include:

  • Medullary
  • Mucinous
  • Tubular
  • Metaplastic
  • Papillary breast cancer
  • Inflammatory breast cancer is a faster-growing type of cancer that accounts for about 1% to 5% of all breast cancers. However, it is uncommon in men.

Self-examines and consisted wellness check with your primary physician will help in the prevention of this disease because it does not matter if you are male or female, how old you are in age, the color of your skin, what continent you live on, nor what body type you have. Breast Cancer is a “life” disease…if you have life, you have a chance of developing one or more of these breast cancers.

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