Male Breast Cancer: Out of the Shadow of Pink

The third week of October is designated as “Male Breast Cancer Awareness Week”.

The most common signs of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump, mass or thickening in the breast. Frequently the lump is painless.

Other male breast cancer symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Skin dimpling or puckering
• Development of a new inversion/retraction (the nipple has turned inward) or indentation of the nipple
• Nipple discharge

Breast Cancer is deadlier for men

Although men have a breast cancer incidence rate less than 1 percent of that of females, when they do get the disease, it is often more advanced and too late to treat.

Results show that men who develop breast cancer are often not treated until the disease has spread to the point that treatment becomes difficult. Lack of awareness plays a big factor in postponing seeking medical attention.

Prevention

Prevention is key to catch the disease early. Because male breast cancer is rare, screening does not get high priority from health providers. The best solution is to check yourself and watch for newly developed lumps, which is easy to do.