about mbc.
Breast cancer is NOT just a female disease - men can get it too. In fact, there are around 400 new male breast cancer diagnoses in the UK each year; but without raising awareness of the disease in men, many may leave it too late to get checked out.
Like any cancer, catching it an early stage is crucial to ensure that those diagnosed have the best chance of beating the disease.
Whilst male breast cancer is more common in older men (between 60-70 years of age), it can occur at any age and therefore it’s crucial that men of all ages are taught to recognise the early warning signs of male breast cancer.
symptoms.
If you experience any of the below symptoms it is recommended to book an appointment with your GP:
a lump in the breast tissue that is typically firm, painless and immobile within the breast
inversion of the nipple or upward turning
nipple discharge, including bleeding
persistent soreness or rash around the nipple
presence of small swollen bumps in the armpit (lymph nodes)
diagnosing mbc.
If following a GP appointment you are referred to a breast clinic you will typically receive an ultrasound of the breast and lymph nodes located under your arm. A biopsy may be taken to check for cancerous cells and you may also be given a mammogram.
Upon receiving a positive diagnosis you may be asked to take further tests to ascertain the stage of the disease, including:
an MRI scan
a bone scan
a PET-CT scan
receiving a diagnosis.
Receiving a diagnosis is devastating and isolating enough without tailored support from medical professionals. The truth is, research and resources around male breast cancer are inadequate - with most information based on incidences of female breast cancer.
From literature to medical advice, all communication is skewed towards a female audience; however, the treatment options are similar for both male and female breast cancer depending on individual circumstances, including the stage and spread of the disease.
surgery.
It is common for men to have a mastectomy following their diagnosis, removing the affected breast and nipple as part of treatment; however, depending on physiology and the location of the tumour a central breast excision (a limited cylinder mastectomy) may only be required.
If affected, your surgeon may also remove some of the lymph nodes from the armpit on the affected side. This will reduce the chances of your cancer returning in the future.
Reconstructive surgery after your mastectomy is possible through the NHS; however the options available will need to be discussed with your treatment team.
chemotherapy.
Depending on the stage of your diagnosis, chemotherapy will likely play a key role in your treatment and can be given before and after surgery.
Chemotherapy is used prior to surgery to shrink the tumour before surgery, whilst chemotherapy after surgery helps reduce the cancer from spreading or returning.
A number of different variations of chemotherapy drugs may be offered depending on your personal circumstances, including your health/age and whether the disease is genetic.
If during your initial diagnosis your cancer cells were identified as having hormone receptors, you will be offered hormone therapy for hormone receptor positive breast cancer.
Taken in pill form for between 5-7 years, these hormone therapy drugs reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.
Following chemotherapy, it is likely that you will be given radiotherapy. This will be used to try to cure the cancer completely (curative radiotherapy) and reduce the risk of the cancer coming back after surgery (adjuvant radiotherapy).
radiotherapy.
hormone therapy.