Your guide to understanding all aspects of male breast cancer
Early detection and diagnosis always increase your chances of receiving successful treatment and beating all forms of cancer – especially male breast cancer. Detecting male breast cancer early will significantly boost your odds of survival. Hence, it is important to adhere to the recommended screening protocol for your age group so that you and your physician can detect and test any anomalies or changes.
You can read the section that details the various types of cancer before embarking on the journey to understand male breast cancer better. Read more
The breast is the tissue covering the chest or pectoral muscles. The glandular tissue is made up of 15 to 20 sections called lobes, and each lobe has smaller structures called lobules. This entire network of lobes and lobulesis linked by thin tubes called ducts. The breast also contains a network of blood vessels, lymph vessels, and lymph nodes. This network drains lymph fluid and transports white blood cells. Groups of lymph nodes are found near the breast, under the arm, in the chest, and above the collar bone.
Often associated with women, breast cancer in men is a rare form of cancer affecting breast tissues in a man’s body. Found largely in older men, male breast cancer occurs when the cells in the male breast begin to defy their life cycle and grow abnormally and uncontrollably to form a malignant tumour. Cancer may sometimes spread or metastasize through the breast cells and tissue to the lymph nodes and to other parts of the body. As with all other forms of cancer, an early diagnosis is associated with better treatment outcomes and a greater chance of complete recovery.
