Male breast cancer

Diagnosis

Diagnostic tests and procedures that your doctor may perform include:

• Clinical breast exam. During a breast examination, the doctor will use their fingertips to check for any abnormalities or changes in your breasts and surrounding areas. They will evaluate the size, texture, and proximity of any lumps to your skin and muscles.
• Imaging tests. Doctors can identify abnormal areas in your breast tissue by using imaging tests that produce pictures. Such tests may involve a mammogram, which is a breast X-ray, or an ultrasound that generates images through sound waves.
• Biopsy.  A biopsy is required to confirm the presence of breast cancer. The procedure involves using a specialized needle device guided by imaging tests to remove a small piece of tissue from the suspicious area. The extracted sample is sent to a laboratory for examination to determine if cancer cells are present. The laboratory also analyzes the sample to identify the type of cells involved, the grade of the cancer, and the presence of hormone receptors or other receptors that may affect the treatment options.

Depending on your specific circumstances, additional tests and treatments can be advised.

Determining the extent of the cancer

After a doctor diagnoses breast cancer, they will work to determine the stage of the cancer, which helps to predict the prognosis and identify the best treatment options. The staging process involves a variety of tests and procedures, such as bone scans, computerized tomography (CT) scans, and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Breast cancer is categorized into stages ranging from 0 to IV, with stage 0 indicating noninvasive cancer that remains within the milk ducts, and stage IV (metastatic breast cancer) indicating cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Staging also considers the grade of the cancer, as well as the presence of tumor markers such as receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2, and proliferation factors.

Treatment

When deciding on treatment for male breast cancer, your doctor will take into account several factors, including the stage of your cancer, your overall health, and your personal preferences. Typically, treatment for male breast cancer will involve surgical procedures and may also involve additional forms of treatment.

Surgery

The aim of surgery is to remove the breast tissue around the tumor through:

• Mastectomy. The removal of the whole breast tissue. Your whole breast tissue, including the nipple and areola, is removed by the surgeon.
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy. The surgeon will remove some lymph nodes for testing. The doctor will identify the lymph nodes that are most likely to be affected by cancer cells initially. A small number of lymph nodes will be removed and examined. If no cancer cells are found, there is a strong likelihood that your breast cancer has not spread beyond the breast tissue. If cancer cells are discovered, more lymph nodes will be removed for testing.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams such as X-rays and protons to destroy cancer cells. Following surgery for male breast cancer, radiation therapy may be recommended to eliminate any remaining cancer cells in the breast, chest muscles, or armpit area. During radiation therapy, a large machine rotates around the body and delivers energy beams to specific locations on the chest.

Hormone therapy

When a man has male breast cancer, his tumors almost always depend on hormones to proliferate (hormone-sensitive). Your doctor might suggest hormone therapy if your cancer is hormone-sensitive. Tamoxifen is a common drug used in hormone therapy for male breast cancer. There is no evidence that men can benefit from other hormone treatment drugs that are utilized in breast cancer patients.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy utilizes drugs to eradicate cancer cells. These drugs may be given to you intravenously (via a vein in your arm), orally (in pill form), or both.
Following surgery, your doctor may advise chemotherapy in order to eradicate any cancer cells that may have spread outside of your breast. For males with advanced breast cancer, chemotherapy may also be an option.