FirstMed Consulting Blog

Breast cancer is regarded by most to be a woman’s disease, but it must be made clear that men are susceptible to breast cancer too. Men have all the same type of breast tissue that women do they just have fewer ducts and lobule (both of which are not as developed as they are in women). Cancerous cells can develop in this small amount of breast tissue in men. However breast cancer does occur much more commonly in women (less than 1% of breast cancers are male breast cancers).

The causes of breast cancer in men

The actual cause of breast cancer in men is not very well understood, but it seems as though some men are at a higher risk off developing it than others. Male breast cancer is rare and commonly occurs in men over the age of 60, and it is more common in men who have:

* Several close members of their family (male or female) who have had breast cancer, or
* A close relative being diagnosed with breast cancer in both breasts, or
* A relative diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40. It is also thought that having several members of the family with cancer of the ovary or the colon may also increase a man’s risk of developing breast cancer.

Many Family cancer genetic clinics run for those who may have an increased risk of developing cancer because of a history of cancer in the family. Your GP may refer you to one of these clinics if they feel that you are at an increased risk of developing male breast cancer.

In certain circumstances (which are rare) men with high levels of the female hormone oestrogen or men who have been exposed to repeated doses of radiation (particularly when young) may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Also Men who suffer from Klinefelter’s syndrome (a rare genetic condition where an extra female X-chromosome is present) have a higher than normal risk of developing breast cancer.

Types of Breast cancer in Men

Different types of cancer can affect the male breast. The most common type is called invasive ductal carcinoma, which is also the most common type of breast cancer affecting women. Other rarer types of cancer are inflammatory breast cancer, Paget’s disease of the breast and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).