Breast cancer in a man: causes, symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment

Physiologically and anatomically, men differ from women. One such feature is manifested in the size of the mammary glands and their functioning. In women, nature has laid this part of the body for the allocation of milk, which is necessary for feeding a newborn baby. In the stronger sex, the breast gland does not produce a secret. However, both men and women are immune from the proliferation of cancer cells in this part of the body. Such a pathological process can cause serious illness and even death.

Does breast cancer occur in men?

Representatives of the stronger sex can not boast of such magnificent forms that are present in women. However, they have a small amount of breast tissue. In fact, the "chest" of an adult male is similar to that of a woman until puberty. It consists of a multitude of ducts surrounded by tissues. In women, these cellular elements grow and develop in accordance with hormonal changes. Precisely because it is a breast tissue, a strong sex can also suffer from an oncological illness.

Breast cancer in a man is a very rare disease. The probability of its occurrence increases with age. The most risky period is from 60 to 70 years. Many men consider this type of cancer to be exclusively a woman's prerogative, so they often ignore the early manifestations of the disease.

What is gynecomastia?

Separately, we should talk about such a pathology as gynecomastia. The fact is that not always an increase in the mammary glands in men is cancer. Gynecomastia is a pathological proliferation of breast tissue of a benign nature. This is a precancerous condition that requires rational treatment. The disease "signals" that the body has failed. Neoplasm is usually under the nipple and is noticeable to the naked eye.

Gynecomastia in adolescents is considered a natural phenomenon. The disease is caused by a violation of the hormonal balance in the body. This is true for the elderly. Gynecomastia today is diagnosed several times more often than breast cancer in men, but both pathologies are similar. That is why any growth in the nipple area should serve as an occasion for visiting the doctor's office.

Types of breast cancer in men

• Protocol carcinoma. Neoplasm is formed in the ducts of the breast, but does not go beyond it. The disease is successfully treated surgically and has a favorable prognosis.
• Infiltrative ductal carcinoma. The tumor can germinate into fatty tissue, and also metastasize into other tissues. This type of disease accounts for approximately 80% of all detected cases of the disease.
• Infiltrative lobular cancer. Pathology is extremely rare. Malignant cells can spread beyond the lobule, where they are formed.
• Paget's disease. Neoplasm is formed in the ducts of the gland and then spreads along the nipple.
• Osteo-infiltrative cancer. This type of disease is considered very aggressive. Cancer cells are distinguished by the ability to block vessels in the skin of the breast, preventing the normal flow of lymph through the tissues.

Causes of the disease

We have already found out whether men can have breast cancer. Now it is necessary to understand the mechanism of the development of this disease.

The main cause of oncology in the sexes is the doctors consider hormonal imbalance. Infringements are usually caused by an overabundance of an estrogen which is not utilized completely by a liver. This hormone is produced in adipose tissue, so the risk of developing the disease is increased in men with excess weight.

The lack of androgens, which in medicine is called Klinefelter's syndrome, also contributes to the formation of a neoplasm. With this pathology, there are several X chromosomes in the cell nucleus instead of one. Against the background of a high content of estrogens and a deficiency of male hormones, the body of a teenager acquires a feminine appearance. His voice becomes soft, and the hairline is noticeably thinning.

Another important factor is age. With aging, the body reduces the production of androgens, and the content of estrogen increases. The older the man, the greater the likelihood of developing a tumor. Radiation therapy is also capable of provoking the disease. It, as a rule, is used for the treatment of oncological pathologies.

Breast cancer in men is due to genetic predisposition. If close relatives in the family had the same diagnosis, automatically a person falls into a risk group. The fact is that the violation of the structure of some genes affects the production of protein. This substance is responsible for containing growth of pathological cells.

How to determine the disease on your own?

Breast cancer in a man is always accompanied by painful discomfort. This is the main symptom to which you should pay attention first. The initial stage of the disease is rarely manifested by characteristic features, but a certain set of symptoms can be observed:

• Change the shape of the nipple;
• Increased lymph nodes;
• The appearance of a lesion below the nipple.

Beginning with the second stage, the skin is gradually involved in the pathological process, ulcers appear. You can see how from the nipple oozing muddy fluid with impurities of blood. Such symptoms of breast cancer in men can not be ignored. An immediate request for help to a doctor increases the chances of a favorable outcome of the ailment.

Medical Examination

Diagnosis of the disease begins with a consultation with an oncologist. The specialist conducts a physical examination of the patient, palpating the affected area. This is necessary to determine the localization and the approximate size of the lesion. Then a mammogram is prescribed. During the study, the patient must undress and press his chest against a special device. Sometimes compression of the tissues is accompanied by painful discomfort, but this is necessary to obtain high-quality images. The next stage of diagnosis is ultrasound. Ultrasound examination allows to obtain an accurate image of the tumor.

Usually the manipulations listed above are enough to hear the diagnosis of a man "cancer." Causes of the disease, more precisely the nature of the neoplasm, can be determined with the help of a biopsy. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. The doctor inserts into the seal a thin needle, through which a small amount of contents is pumped out of the tumor. Then the obtained material is studied under laboratory conditions.

Methods of treatment of a tumor

To combat breast cancer, modern medicine offers several treatment options: surgical intervention, radiation, hormonal and chemotherapy. The choice of a specific tactic depends on the stage of the pathological process and the patient's state of health.

Surgical treatment of breast cancer in men is aimed at removing the neoplasm and surrounding tissues. Most patients with this diagnosis undergo radical mastectomy. During surgery, the surgeon removes the entire chest.

Radiation therapy is not used as an independent method of treatment. It is used to destroy the remaining cancer cells after surgery. For treatment, high energy rays are used. They kill pathological elements and slow the course of the disease.

Chemotherapy is based on the use of cytotoxic agents. Such drugs destroy actively multiplying cancer cells. Usually, two or more drugs are used in the treatment. Chemotherapy has a number of side effects. The fact is that the drugs used for treatment kill not only "bad", but also healthy elements.

Some types of cancer depend on the content of certain hormones in the blood. These are so-called hormone-dependent tumors that develop with an elevated level of estrogens. For treatment, doctors usually use "Tamoxifen". This drug is also used in women's breast cancer.

Alternative treatment options

None of the alternative therapies can cure breast cancer in men. However, alternative medicine helps to combat the side effects of medications taken. Alternative therapies, which are used today in many Western countries, are aimed at suppressing depressed state and fear. It is these disorders experienced on themselves cancer patients.

In order to help a person overcome anxiety and depression, the following methods are used in the West:

1. Creative activity. Poetry, dancing and drawing help people relieve stress. Many oncology departments specifically employ teachers who conduct group sessions for patients.
2. Physical exercises allow you to forget about the illness and escape from the experience.
3. Meditation. The relaxation technique helps a person to abstract from earthly problems.
4. Prayer. Believers are able to draw strength from religious teachings. In many developed countries today, priests working in hospitals are not uncommon.

Prevention of breast cancer

Any disease is easier to prevent than treat. To reduce the likelihood of breast cancer, each man is able to give up alcohol, monitor weight and eat right. This is the simplest prevention of the disease.

Oncology of this form in men is very rare, but often has an unfavorable outcome. The reason is very simple: most ignore the initial signs of breast cancer. In men, there is virtually no mammary gland. On the other hand, there is a large amount of breast tissue. If there is an organ, there may be a disease. Cancer and its complications can easily be prevented if you show little attention to your own organism.