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I didn’t think men could get breast cancer, but my husband has just been
diagnosed. What can we expect for his treatment?
Breast cancer can affect men, although it is rare. There is a one in 1,000 or
1 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer in men. Although breast cancer can
affect men of all ages, it is most commonly diagnosed in men between age 60 and
70. Men who have a BRCA2 mutation have a 5 percent to 10 percent increased risk of
developing breast cancer, as well as an increased risk of developing other
cancers such as prostate or pancreatic cancer.
Men can also have tender breast enlargement, often with a lump beneath the
nipple. Sometimes this is in one breast, often in both. This benign finding is
called gynecomastia. Gynecomastia can also occur after taking certain types of
medications.
Male breast cancer is treated similarly to female breast cancer. Surgery to
remove the breast cancer is the standard treatment, followed by chemotherapy if
the cancer has spread beyond the breast.
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