1% of breast cancer cases detected are in men

It is generally accepted that breast cancer is a purely female pathology, but Belgian specialists warn that the cancerous tumor can also affect men, and the degree of risk is quite high - approximately 1% of all detected cases of breast cancer occur in men.

It is worth noting that the state does not compensate for the treatment costs of sick men, unlike women. In Belgium, every eighth woman is diagnosed with this pathology, the level of medical care in this country is high and a good set of diagnostic and treatment procedures has been developed for women, but such measures are not provided for male patients. For this reason, breast cancer in men is detected at late stages, when the tumor is already clearly visible, in addition, sometimes men themselves miss some symptoms indicating the development of breast cancer.

Of the detected cancer cases, men account for 1%, but as oncologists note, the tumor is more dangerous for them, since it is usually detected at late stages, when the tumor has already spread to other organs. In men, the main factor in the development of a cancerous tumor is considered to be hereditary, when gene mutations occur in family members. Breast cancer in men, as already noted, is diagnosed when the tumor has reached such a size that it is easily visible without special equipment. In addition, men who are diagnosed with this pathology will face expensive treatment (compensation is provided only for women).

In men, the mammary glands are underdeveloped, as their body has a low level of female sex hormones, in particular, estrogen, which is responsible for the growth and development of the breast. For some reasons, the volume of breast tissue can increase, and additional carcinogenic action can provoke the development of a cancerous tumor in the breast tissue of a man.

A risk factor for developing breast cancer is abnormal enlargement of the breast glands in men, associated with hormonal imbalances (for example, when testosterone levels in the body decrease or estrogen levels increase).

According to some data, men who work in hot shops or who were exposed to radiation therapy in the chest area in childhood are prone to developing breast cancer. Breast cancer most often develops in Klinefelter syndrome (a genetic disease in the male line associated with testosterone deficiency), in blacks and Jews.

Usually, a cancerous tumor affects men aged 60-65 years. The main symptom by which a tumor can be identified is the presence of a hard lump in the mammary glands. As a rule, the tumor grows under the nipple, areola or nearby. Bloody discharge may appear from the nipple, and at later stages, ulceration of the skin over the tumor begins. If the tumor has affected adjacent lymph nodes, the latter greatly increase in size and become dense to the touch.

Treatment of breast cancer in men is based on the same principles and approaches as in women.