Male breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in the breast tissues. Breast cancer can affect men of any age group, but it usually occurs between the ages of 60 and 70. Male breast malignancies account for less than 1% of all breast cancers. A family history of breast cancer and a number of other factors can increase a man’s risk of breast cancer. Risk factors in men are: Treatment with radiation therapy in the chest area; Presence of a disease associated with high levels of estrogen in the body such as cirrhosis or Klinefelter’s syndrome; Presence of one or more women in the family with a history of breast cancer; Presence of genetic mutations (BRCA2) Men with breast cancer usually report some of the following symptoms: Presence of a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the armpit area; Change in breast size or shape; Trail or the so-called skin like orange peel; Nipple turned inward into the breast; Discharge of fluid from the nipple, especially if it is bloody; Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin around the nipple). The set of tests used to diagnose breast cancer in men are the same as in women. Inflammatory breast cancer is characterized by spread to the skin of the breast. It looks red, swollen and feels warmer than the adjacent area. The redness and warmth occur because the cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels in the skin. The skin of the breast may also show ridges (orange peel). In this case, it is possible not to feel lumps in the breast. For both women and men, there are 5 types of standard treatment. Surgical: A modified radical mastectomy (removal of the breast, many of the lymph nodes under the arm, and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles) is usually the method of choice. Chemotherapy: This is a method that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells by either killing them or stopping them from dividing. Hormone therapy: It removes hormones or blocks their action and stops the growth of cancer cells. If research shows that cancer cells have sites where hormones attach (receptors), drugs are used to reduce their production or block their action. Hormonal therapy with tamoxifen is often used in patients who have estrogen- or progesterone-positive tumors and those with metastatic disease. Hormonal therapy with aromatase inhibitors is used in men with metastatic breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors reduce estrogen in the body by blocking the action of an enzyme called aromatase from converting androgen into estrogen. Radiation therapy; Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy usually causes less damage to normal cells than chemotherapy or radiation therapy.Monoclonal antibody therapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors are types of targeted therapies used in men with breast cancer.
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