Men are not as likely to develop breast cancer as women. But in many cases, by the time they go to see the doctor and receive a definitive diagnosis of breast cancer, their cancer is often very advanced.
This is because many men do not realize that they can develop breast cancer just like women. In fact, 1 in every 1000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life. This is not nearly as high as the 1 in 8 women, of course, but still represents thousands of new cases each year and hundreds of deaths that could potentially be prevented through awareness and self-examination.
As with all cancers, prevention is the best strategy, followed by early detection if it can’t be prevented. Those who are at most risk should check themselves and be tested regularly. The risk is higher in a family where at least one woman has had breast cancer.
Breast cancer might also have a genetic component in men as well as women. The BRCA mutation leaves any person more prone to breast cancer, and in men, prostate cancer as well. Prostate cancer is the number two cancer that kills men, after lung cancer, with more than 27,000 deaths per year.
Breast cancer is the number two cancer that kills women, with more than 40,000 deaths each year, so the chances are increasing that men may carry the BRCA gene and have a history of breast cancer.
Prognosis for Male Breast Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society’s estimates, in 2015 there will be 2,350 new cases of male breast cancer and 440 male breast cancer deaths. The survival rate depends in many cases on how early the cancer is caught. If it is detected early, at Stage I, the five-year survival rate is 100%. If it has progressed to an advanced stage such as Stage IV, the five-year survival rate will be only 20%.
The staging takes into account the size of the tumor, whether or not the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, and whether or not it might have metastasized or spread to more distant parts of the body such as bone, liver or brain. In the latter case, the prognosis will be much worse and survival more unlikely.
The cancer stages and their definitions are:
- Stage I – The tumor is no more than 2 centimeters (cm) in diameter (about 3/4 inch) and hasn’t spread to the lymph nodes such as the underarm or neck.
- Stage II – The tumor may be up to 5 cm (about 2 inches) in diameter and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes. Or the tumor may be larger than 5 cm but no cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes.
- Stage III – The tumor may be larger than 5 cm (about 2 inches) in diameter and may involve several nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage IV – Cancer at this stage has spread beyond the breast to distant areas such as the bone, brain, liver or lungs.
The earlier the cancer is detected, the lower the stage and the better chance for a favorable outcome.
The five-year survival rate for each stage is as follows:
- Stage I – 100%
- Stage II – 91%
- Stage III – 72%
- Stage IV – 20%
As you can see, early detection can make all the difference, so if you are a man with breast cancer in the family, add male breast cancer screening to your list of things to do as part of your self-care routine.
