Breast cancer is touted as only a women’s issue, but that isn’t the truth. Men can get breast cancer and they should be checking their nipples and areolas too. Women get breast cancer more often, but that doesn’t mean male breast cancer is not a real diagnosis. Men are not exempt from having to get their breasts checked too. Mammograms are the best way to find out if your breasts are healthy. Yes, men you can get a mammogram despite not having any breast tissues.
Several years ago, I had a breast cancer scare when I went in for my annual mammogram. I have got a mammogram every year since I turned 40 and I am now 46. It’s recommended that those 40 or older get a yearly mammogram. I’m glad I did. They caught mine early and I didn’t need to go through radiation or chemotherapy. They say by the time you feel it the lump on your breast is the size of a baseball. Mine, thankfully was only a size of a penny. It was just beginning to turn into cancer.
Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
- Dimpled area around the nipples
- Puckered skin in the areola area
- Red, scaly rash around nipple or areola area
- Fluid discharge from the nipples
Breast cancer begins by cells growing out of whack in the breast. This causes lumps, rashes, pain, and fluid discharge. Boys and girls ages 9 to 11 have a small amount of breast tissues that are made up of ducts that are located under the nipples and areola area. With girls the cells grow and the ducts get ready to produce milk for their babies. With boys, the ducts are dormant and do not produce milk. Cancer cells can start at any part of the breast, but mostly they begin in the ducts. The cancer spreads by getting into the blood system or the lymph network. 
Lymph nodes are located in:
- Under the arms
- Around the collar bone
- In the chest near the breastbone
Here are some of the most common types of breast cancer:
Gynecomastia: One of the common one that men can get, especially young boys. It is not a tumor. It is the increase of the man’s breast tissue. It appears like a button or a disk like growth under the nipple or areola. It can be felt and seen.
Ductal Carcinoma Situ: This can be a non-invasive cancer or a pre-invasive cancer. This accounts for 1 out of ten men when it comes to breast cancer
Lobular Carcinoma Situ: This cancer grows in the milk duds and it is rarely seen in men but it is common for women.
Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma: 8 out of 10 men get this kind of cancer. It starts in the ducts and grows into the fatty tissues and then it spreads to other parts of the body.
Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma: 2 percent of men get this cancer.
Factors to be aware of:
- Age: men 60 to 70 but any man after the age of 40 can get breast cancer
- Family history
- Inherited gene mutations
- Klinefelter Syndrome (when a man has an extra y chromosome)
- Alcohol abuse
- Obesity
- Liver Disease
- Exposure to radiation
- Having too much estrogen
- Testicular conditions
We don’t hear a lot about men having breast cancer, so I was surprised to learn that there have been some famous actors who have had breast cancer or who have died from it. Here is a list:
- Richard Roundtree (he played shaft in the 70’s)
- Rod Roddy
- Edward Brook the first African American elected to the Senate in 1966.
- Peter Criss (Drummer for Kiss)
- Ernie Green, Football player for the Cleveland Browns
- Montel Williams
It’s not easy going to the doctor. It isn’t easy being poked, prodded, or stuck with needles but in order to have a complete wellness plan and to reach our goals getting a physical that includes a mammogram or a breast check is important for men. As a woman, I have been taught to check my breasts with self-examination. Men are not taught that and I think that needs to change. If you see something that is abnormal on your breasts please talk to your doctor about it right away. If you need helps with a wellness plan or encouragement to go to the doctor, Karen G Clemenson and the Wellness Works NW Team will be happy to be there for you to offer support and research.
Here are some links I would like to share with you:
- 6 Famous Men Who Were Diagnosed with Breast Cancer by Brian Vanhooker for Men’s Health Magazine
- Breast Cancer in Men by WebMD Staff
- Male breast cancer by Mayo Clinic Staff
- Male Breast Cancer by MedlinePlus Staff
- What is Breast Cancer in Men? by American Cancer Society Staff
- Video Credit: Men and Mammography by The University of Mississippi Medical Center on YouTube
- Image Credit: An Overview of Male Breast Cancer by Lisa Fayed and medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD for Very Well Health. Picture by Jessica Ola
- Image Credit: What It’s Like to Be a Male Breast Cancer Survivor by Casey Gueren for Women’s Health Magazine. Picture by Terry Weckbauch
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Jamie Holloway is a co-owner of Wellness Works NW and she is also our Research Manager and writes our Chasing Wellness with Jamie Holloway and Dear Jamie columns. Jamie is also an Independent Wellness Advocate at dōTERRA. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area. Since October 2011 she has been sharing her Journey Toward Health and Wellness with Vasculitis through her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com. We hope you are as inspired as we are with the raw candor Jamie uses in her writing. If you would like to help support Jamie’s writing efforts please Donate now.
