Even though less common, breast cancer can attack Men. now, if it happens to men, what just signs and symptoms that can appear? And will the treatment be the same as for women? To answer it, see the following explanation.
Breast cancer in men can occur at any age. But usually, this disease is more common in men aged 60-70 years. Some of the factors that increase a man's risk of developing breast cancer are heredity, radiation exposure to the chest, obesity, Klinefelter syndrome, advanced liver disease, and the use of the hormone estrogen to treat prostate cancer.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer in Men
Some of the early symptoms of breast cancer in men are generally the same as the symptoms of breast cancer in women, namely:
- The appearance of a lump in the breast, can be under the nipple or in the areola. The lumps that appear are rubbery, immobile, and sometimes painless.
- The nipple is pulled inward.
- Discharge from the nipple.
- Hardening and swelling of the nipple or the area around the nipple, can also be accompanied by a change in the color of the nipple to become redder.
- The appearance of a rash or sore around the nipple that does not heal.
If the growth is getting out of control and even spreads or metastasizes, other symptoms can appear, such as bone pain, shortness of breath, tired all the time, to yellowing of the skin and eyes or jaundice.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer in Men
The process of diagnosing breast cancer in men is not much different from breast cancer in women. The doctor will do a question-and-answer (anamnesis) as well as a physical examination, especially in the breast, chest, and armpit area. After that, the doctor will perform a mammography examination and a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment options recommended by doctors depend on the degree or severity of breast cancer experienced by the patient. Some types of treatment are:
1. Operation
The goal of surgery is to remove cancerous tissue. If the cancer has spread and damaged the surrounding breast tissue, the breast tissue will also be removed.
2. Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy or radiation therapy can be done alone or in combination with other therapies, such as surgery. This procedure uses X-rays to kill any cancer cells that may still remain in the breast, chest muscles, and armpits.
3. Hormone therapy
If breast cancer in men is caused by high levels of the hormone estrogen, the doctor will recommend hormone therapy to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells. One of the drugs that is often used is tamoxifen.
4. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is done by giving anticancer drugs, either in the form of tablets or injections. Chemotherapy aims to kill breast cancer cells.
Symptoms of breast cancer in men are often not realized, so it is often not diagnosed at the beginning of its appearance. Therefore, you must be more sensitive to complaints or changes that occur in your breasts, so that breast cancer can be detected as early as possible.
If you feel complaints or changes in your breasts, immediately consult a doctor so that the cause can be identified and given proper treatment.
