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Summary
Although breast cancer is much more common in women, men can get it too. It happens most often to men between the ages of 60 and 70.
Breast lumps usually aren't cancer. However, most men with breast cancer have lumps. Other breast symptoms can include:
- Dimpled or puckered skin
- A red, scaly nipple or skin
- Fluid discharge
Risk factors for male breast cancer include exposure to radiation, a family history of breast cancer, and having high estrogen levels, which can happen with diseases like cirrhosis or Klinefelter syndrome.
Treatment for male breast cancer is usually a mastectomy, which is surgery to remove the breast. Other treatments include radiation, chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Diagnosis and Tests
- Breast Biopsy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Can Breast Cancer in Men Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society)
- HER2 Tumor Marker Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Stages of Male Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Tests to Help Diagnose Breast Cancer in Men (American Cancer Society)
- Tumor Marker Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Men With Breast Cancer Need More Treatment Options and Access to Genetic Counseling (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Treatment Option Overview (Male Breast Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Genetics
- Breast cancer: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Statistics and Research
- Advances in Breast Cancer Research (National Cancer Institute)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Neoplasms, Male (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
- American Cancer Society
- Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
- National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
- Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Breast cancer in men (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Chest radiation - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish