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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Older Men Need to Be Aware of Danger from Deadly
Male Breast Cancer
Death rate higher that testicular and prostate
cancer combined
 October
12, 2006 This is national Breast Cancer Awareness Month and most are
familiar with the pink ribbon worn to trigger cancer awareness. Adding a
small blue ribbon to the symbol may be a good idea, because it may help
save the lives of men with breast cancer nearly 500 men in the U.S.
will die from it this year. It is most common in older men between the
ages of 60 and 70; and many of those who die may have been saved with
earlier detection.
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Health & Medicine |
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The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2006
some 1,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among
men in the U.S., although it is about 100 times more common among women.
The really bad news for men is that the death rate
for those with breast cancer is 27%, while just 19% for women, according
to the Men's Health Network. Breast cancer in men also has a higher
death rate than more common male cancers such as prostate cancer (9
percent) and testicular cancer (4 percent).
Still, ACS says, breast cancer accounts for only about 0.22%
(two tenths of a percent) of cancer deaths among men. In 2006, about
41,430 people will die from breast cancer in the U.S. (40,970 women, 460
men).
The ACS disputes the claim by MHN that breast
cancer is more deadly for men than women.
"The prognosis for men with breast cancer was once
thought to be worse than that for women, but this is not true," says the
ACS Website.
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Mayo Clinic on Male Breast Cancer |
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Breast cancer is not limited to women. Although men
have much less breast tissue than women, they do have breast cells that
can undergo cancerous changes. Male breast cancer is most common in men
between the ages of 60 and 70.
The prognosis for male breast cancer is the same as
for breast cancer in women. In the past, male breast cancer was often
diagnosed at a more advanced stage, though this may no longer be the
case. Although male breast cancer and breast cancer in women are
similar, important distinctions such as breast size and awareness affect
early diagnosis and survival in cases of male breast cancer.
Most breast lumps aren't cancerous. Yet the most
common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump or
thickening in the breast. Often the lump is painless. Other signs of
breast cancer include:
● Skin dimpling or puckering
● Development of a new retraction or indentation
of the nipple
● Redness of scaling of the nipple or breast skin
● A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from
the nipple
Causes
Cancer is a group of abnormal cells that grow more
rapidly than normal cells. Cancer cells also have the ability to invade
and destroy normal tissues, either by growing directly into surrounding
structures or after traveling to another part of your body through your
bloodstream or lymphatic system. Microscopic cancer cells form small
clusters that continue to grow, becoming more densely packed and hard.
In most cases it isn't clear what triggers abnormal
cell growth in breast tissue in men. But doctors do know that between 5
percent and 10 percent of breast cancers in men are inherited. Defects
in breast cancer gene 1 or 2 (BRCA 1 or BCRA 2) put you at greater risk
of developing breast cancer. Other inherited genes also may increase
your risk of developing breast cancer. Knowing your family history is
very important to determine your chance of inheriting an abnormal gene.
Most genetic mutations related to breast cancer
aren't inherited, but instead develop during your lifetime. These
acquired mutations may result from radiation exposure, such as receiving
chest radiation therapy in childhood, or from other, as yet unknown,
factors. Such acquired mutations can't be passed to other generations.
>>
Read more at Mayo Clinic site.
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"Based on looking at each stage, the survival rates
are equal. In other words, men and women with each stage of breast
cancer have a similar outlook for survival. Although at one time breast
cancers of men were more often diagnosed with more advanced stages, this
may no longer be true."
Lack of awareness, embarrassment and social stigma
do apparently contribute to later diagnosis of male breast cancer, and
cancer found at a later stage is usually more difficult to treat.
The disease, however, may be more detectable in men
due to a smaller amount of breast tissue; symptoms are often visible and
include a painless lump, redness, swelling or dimpling in the breast
area; nipple discharge or changes in its shape or appearance; and
swollen lymph nodes or glands near the underarm. This ease of detection
is a good reason to add the blue ribbon to make men more aware.
"Most men don't consider breast cancer a
possibility, so they may easily mistake suspicious symptoms such as
visible lumps for other problems, or ignore them entirely until it's too
late," said Jean Bonhomme, M.D., M.P.H, Board of Directors, MHN.
"We're urging men to acknowledge their risk for the
disease and take action when they see the signs - it could save their
lives."
Men's Health Network, which claims to be the
leading online men's health authority, has launched an educational
campaign daring men to be aware of their risk for breast cancer. "Dare
to be Aware: Men and Breast Cancer" has launched as part of Breast
Cancer Awareness Month.
"You might think that working at a cancer center,
I'd recognize my own symptoms right away, but I assumed the annoying
bump on my chest was a bug bite, or maybe an infection," said Marshall
Anderson, male breast cancer survivor, West Texas rancher and medical
technologist at Texas Cancer Center, Abilene, Texas. He is helping MHN
promote their cancer detection campaign.
"As a man, I was shocked and outraged when my
doctor told me it was really inflammatory breast cancer. I want other
men to learn from my experience so that they know there's no shame in
having this disease, and that it's treatable and beatable."
As with female breast cancer, when screening
reveals the presence of male breast cancer, there are many treatment
options available, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. New
research is showing that oral chemotherapy is even more effective at
shrinking tumors and delaying tumor growth in advanced breast cancer in
combination with new targeted and anti-angiogenic cancer therapies.
Oral chemotherapy, in particular, can help some
patients continue to lead a productive life while undergoing treatment,
says MHN.
"A male breast cancer diagnosis does not have to be
a death sentence -- and the sooner we detect it, the better we can treat
it," said Anton Melnyk, M.D., Texas Cancer Center, U.S. Oncologists in
Abilene, Texas. "If you see or feel a lump, or have a family history of
the disease, don't let denial or embarrassment stand in your way of
survival -- get examined."
The Web site, www.menshealthnetwork.org, houses
resources tailored especially for men, including downloadable
instructions for a breast self-exam, a fact sheet on male breast cancer,
and a testimonial from Anderson about his personal story surviving
breast cancer.
Links:
>>
American Cancer Society on Male Breast
Cancer
>>
National Cancer Institute on Male Breast
Cancer
>>
Men's Health Network
Editor's Notes
About Men's Health Network
Men's Health Network (MHN) is a non-profit
educational organization comprised of physicians, researchers, public
health workers, and individuals. MHN is committed to improving the
health and wellness of men, boys, and their families through education
campaigns, screenings, data collection, surveys, toll-free hotlines, and
work with health care providers. With a network of chapters, affiliates,
and health partners, MHN has a presence in every state. MHN conducts
screenings in the workplace and at public venues, sponsors conferences,
and promotes awareness periods such as National Men's Health Week. MHN
partners with both private and public entities to achieve these goals.
About Dare to Be Aware
The Men's Health Network Dare to Be Aware: Men
and Breast Cancer program is an extension of the National Women's Health
Resource Center (NWHRC) Dare to Be Aware educational initiative.
Established in 2005, Dare to Be Aware empowers Americans to take
control, face their fears and fight against cancers they may not
recognize or acknowledge as a risk. The initiative's current programs
also address colorectal cancer in women and include Dare to Be Aware:
Women and Colorectal Cancer and African American Women: Dare to Be
Aware. These programs are made possible by Roche, www.Roche.com.
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