Guangdong Mr. Yu never thought that “breast cancer” would find him in his forties.
Three years ago, he noticed a small bump the size of an adult thumb under his right nipple.
This little bump is neither painful nor itchy, so I don’t take it too seriously.
Gradually, the skin on the surface of the pimple developed sores and ulcers, and it was extremely itchy.
He didn’t take it seriously, he just went to the pharmacy to buy some anti-inflammatories.
(Source: Screenshot of “Guangdong Taiwan Electric Shock News” video)
Unexpectedly, in the following 10 months, the small wound gradually increased, and even spread to the pectoralis major, ribs, and chest wall.
Mr. Yu felt that something was wrong and rushed to the hospital…
The diagnosis surprised him, he was diagnosed with breast cancer!
(Source: Screenshot of “Guangdong Taiwan Electric Shock News” video)
I believe many people will be as shocked as Mr. Yu:
Men get breast cancer too?
Yes! “Gender male” has never been the “immunity gold medal” for breast cancer.
As many believe, breast cancer is indeed the most common malignancy in women worldwide [1].
Male breast cancer (MBC) is relatively rare in clinical practice.
Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of cancers in men[2,3]. In my country, the incidence rate is about 0.4/100,000 [4].
However, less doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
The incidence of breast cancer in men has been on the rise in recent years [2,3].
To make matters worse, studies have shown that men who develop breast cancer may experience more severe disease and higher mortality rates [5].
A large part of the reason is that male breast cancer is not well characterized and often goes untreated[5].
Like Mr. Yu above, many men usually don’t pay enough attention to breast abnormalities, and even have no concept of breast cancer. They always feel that it is a trivial matter.
In this way, the disease becomes more and more serious, and when it is discovered, it becomes a late stage, which greatly increases the difficulty of treatment!
What kind of men should be wary of breast cancer?
Studies have shown that men who have 4 characteristics really need to pay more attention [2,6].
1. Older
According to statistics, the incidence of male breast cancer increases with age, and most breast cancers are discovered after the age of 50.
The mean age at diagnosis of breast cancer in men (63.3 years) is greater than that in women (59.9 years) [5].
2. Family history of genetic disease
Men are at higher risk for breast cancer if a close relative (first or second-degree relative) has breast cancer [7].
3. Hormone imbalances
Men with obesity and diabetes, some liver diseases, testicular abnormalities (injured, swollen, or removed testicles), or men who are receiving estrogen therapy[2] have elevated estrogen levels , are more likely to develop breast cancer.
4. Carrying certain mutant genes
certain genesGenetic changes (mutations), such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, increase the risk of breast cancer. Among them, BRCA2 gene mutations are more common.
In addition, men are at increased risk of breast cancer if they work in high magnetic fields, high temperatures, or are exposed to gasoline and exhaust gas [2].
Special reminder
Men with a family history of breast cancer and/or a BRCA mutation identified by genetic testing is best advised to seek medical advice to manage risk under the guidance of a doctor.
Prevention is always the most cost-effective strategy for disease.
Many men, because of their lack of awareness of breast cancer, did not take precautions against it, and they regretted it in the end.
Breast cancer should be diagnosed and treated early. Be careful if the following 5 signs appear[6]:
Breast swelling or lump;
Breast skin is red or flaky;
The breast skin is sunken or wrinkled;
Nipple discharge;
Inverted nipples or pain in the nipple area.
“Gender male” is not a “gold” for breast cancer.
Mr. Yu, mentioned at the beginning of the article, was relatively lucky. After treatment, his condition stabilized.
But I and my family suffered a lot.
People at high risk must be vigilant and go to the hospital immediately if they have aura symptoms.
Don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens.
It is said that money and time can’t change life, but if you do a good job of prevention and early diagnosis and treatment, you can!
If you found this article useful, please share it. When many people see it alone, there is one less tragedy.
Contributing Author: Guan Xinyu
Eight-year doctoral student in breast surgery at the Second Xiangya Hospital
Reviewer: Gu Lin
Director of the Second Department of Breast Oncology, Tianjin Cancer Hospital
References
[1]Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs HE, et al. Cancer statistics, 2021[J]. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 2021, 71(1): 7- 33.
[2]Fentiman I S, Fourquet A, Hortobagyi G N. Male breast cancer[J]. The Lancet, 2006, 367(9510): 595-604.
[3]Chen Z, Xu L, Shi W, et al. Trends of female and male breast cancer incidence at the global, regional, and national levels, 1990C2017[J]. Breast cancer research and treatment, 2020, 180(2): 481-490.
[4]Chen W, Zheng R, Baade PD, et al. Cancer statistics in China, 2015[J]. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 2016, 66(2): 115-132.
[5]Wang F, Shu X, Meszoely I, et al. Overall mortality after diagnosis of breast cancer in men vs women[J]. JAMA oncology, 2019, 5(11): 1589-1596.
[6] CDC: Breast Cancer in Men. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/men/index.htm
[7] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Breast and Ovarian Cancer and Family History Risk Categories https:https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/breast_ovarian_cancer/risk_categories.htm
Editors: Zhao Yanan, Zhang Jie, Zhang Liang
Typesetting: Han Ningning | Proofreading: Wu Yihe
Operation: Li Yongmin | Coordinator: Wu Wei
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