Breast Cancer Men Get It Too . As with women, men are not spared from breast cancer By Yeo Suan Futt Breast cancer, the runaway growth of malignant cancer cells in breast tissue, is largely seen as a woman’s problem, but men can get breast cancer too. Indeed, many aspects of the disease in men are similar to that in women, from the nature of the disease to its diagnosis and treatment.   Nevertheless, it has to be said that breast cancer in men is comparatively rare – only around 10% of breast cancer cases occur in men, and mostly in men aged 60 to 70. There are four types of breast cancer in men:   •   Ductal carcinoma in situ/intraductal carcinoma     Abnormal cells are found in a duct in the breast. •   Infiltrating ductal carcinoma     This is the most common type of breast cancer in men. Here, the cancer has spread beyond     the cells lining the ducts in the breast. •   Inflammatory breast cancer     As the name suggests, the breast looks inflamed in this type of cancer – it is red, swollen and     feels warm. •   Paget’s disease of the nipple     Here, a tumour has grown from the ducts beneath the nipple and onto the surface.   Causes and detection There are several factors that increase the risk of developing male breast cancer. These include exposure to harmful radiation, a family history of the disease, or the result of some other illness that has caused high levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen to develop in the body. Such diseases include cirrhosis of the liver and Klinefelter’s syndrome, which is the most common cause of male hypogonadism, a condition where men are unable to produce both sperm and enough of the male hormone testosterone for the body’s needs.   Men with female relatives who have had breast cancer or the above listed conditions should be watchful for lumps in the breast – as women have long been instructed to examine their breasts every month, the same routine can help spot male breast cancer at an early and hence, a more treatable stage. If any changes in the breast are detected, a doctor is to be notified immediately, so that more tests can be carried out to ascertain the condition.   These tests include needle biopsy, where suspicious tissue or part of a lump is removed by needle for further tests; core biopsy, where a wide needle is used; and excisional biopsy, where an entire lump or tissue is removed.   Treatment Treatment options and prognosis of breast cancer are identical in men and women, though in the former, because of its relative rarity, it is often detected at a more advanced stage where the disease becomes much harder to treat. Generally, types of treatment and their chances of success are dependent on the following factors: The stage of the cancer when detected (whether it is also found in the other breast or has spread to other parts of the body), the type of breast cancer, and the patient’s age and general health. Treatments include: Surgery This often involves the removal of the breast, some of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and part of the chest wall muscles.   Chemotherapy Drugs Administered orally or injected, these are used to kill or stop the growth of cancer cells.   Hormone therapy Hormones in the body that promote the growth of cancer cells are removed or deactivated.   Radiation therapy High-energy X-rays or other forms of radiation are used to kill the cancer cells.   As in the case of cancers in general, treatment of male breast cancer brings with it many side effects, from the unpleasant to the dangerous; success depends heavily on early detection. For men in higher risk groups for male breast cancer, vigilance through self-examination is a good start.