Breast Cancer in men vs. women

Although extremely rare, breast cancer does develop in some men. Over 99% of breast cancer patients are female and only 1/1000 men will develop breast cancer in their lives. Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in women. Although it may seem strange that a male would develop a disease that on the surface would seem like only women could contract, a man’s breast cells and tissue can still develop cancer. In women, the disease usually comes from genetic mutations. These mutations can either be passed down from generation to generation, or occur as a random mutation in an individual. A family history of breast cancer greatly increases an individual’s risk. For men, the risk is especially high when they have a family history of breast cancer associated with the BRCA2 gene.

The symptoms and development of breast cancer in males and females is very similar. Most patients experience a lump underneath of their breast tissue. However, the survival rate for women is much higher than the survival rate for men. This is mostly attributed to the way men and women are screened for breast cancer. Women over the age of 45 are recommended to undergo a mammogram every year to check for malignant tissue and tumors. Men however, do not undergo screening for breast cancer. Often times by the time that a male patient learns that they have breast cancer it is too late.

Normally breast cancer originates in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple. It can also occur in the glands that produce breast milk. For this reason, it is both extremely rare, and odd for men to develop breast cancer. Breast cancer can also develop in tissue of the breast not associated with milk production and are considered to be sarcomas or lymphomas and are not usually considered to be true breast cancer. Breast cancer can spread from the breasts to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system. This contributes to its high mortality rate when detection is late. For most men and women who have late detection of breast cancer it is extremely difficult to be cured.

http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/male-breast-cancer
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-does-breast-cancer-form.html