Think Pinker

We hear a lot about women and breast cancer, and for the most part men don’t think too much about this form of cancer. In fact, while the locker room might have an open discussion about prostate cancer you likely won’t hear breast cancer being talked about.

Men have breast tissue that can undergo changes that are cancerous and while it is not nearly as common in men as women, it is also more often missed since men simply don’t think about themselves as possibly having breast cancer.

Breast cancer is most common in men in their 60s and 70s. Things to watch for are skin that is puckering or dimpling around the breast area, an indentation of the nipple, scaling, or redness, and discharge from the nipple.

Risk factors for men include age, family history, genetic predisposition, radiation exposure, liver disease, exposure to estrogen, excessive use of alcohol, overweight, radiation exposure, and Klinefelter’s syndrome.

For every 7500 women diagnosed with breast cancer 75 men will be diagnosed. Women are a 100 times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. So although it is rare in men it does occur.

According to the London Free Press, that’s just what happened to Herb Wagner. He was not only devastated, he was shocked. Of all the cancer types breast cancer was never one he had worried about developing, which is why he decided to speak out.

With early detection men have an excellent chance of surviving breast cancer. A man’s worst fault is that they simply won’t go to a doctor and so this delaying can really be the difference between successfully beating breast cancer and a diagnosis that is too late for a good outcome.

For men, the trauma of having a breast removed is far less than what a women experiences imply because the breast is not part of a man’s identity.

The message here – men you need to pay attention to changes to your breasts and seek medical attention.