2,000 men have... breast cancer

According to the US National Cancer Institute, men often get breast cancer between the ages of 60 and 70 and are at high risk if someone in their family has the disease.

Breast cancer is considered a common cancer in women. However, surveys in the US show that about 2,000 men in the world face this disease every year.

Dr. Alexandra Heerdt, from Memorial Sloan Ketting Cancer Center (USA), confirmed that men and women have the same risk factors for this disease, such as genetics and age.

Signs of breast cancer are no different between sexes: abnormal lymph nodes, strange nipple changes or changes in the skin of the chest area.

Breast cancer in men is thought to be easier to detect on its own, because it is not hidden by the breasts as it is in women. But male breast cancer cases are often diagnosed late because few men think they have breast cancer, even when they notice abnormalities.

Kathryn Ruddy, a breast cancer specialist at the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit medical organization in the US, said that men are very likely to be depressed when they learn they have breast cancer. They are shy and feel isolated.

One disadvantage for men is that it is difficult to advise them to have regular mammograms, because the rate of men getting breast cancer is much lower than that of women. In terms of patient benefits, that rate is not enough to force patients to spend a significant amount of money each year for screening.

The best recommended way for men to check for breast cancer is to perform a manual self-examination. As mentioned above, breast cancer in men is easier to detect by hand than in women, so they can easily recognize abnormalities in breast tissue.

So don't hesitate to see your doctor if you find a lump in your breast or any other unusual signs.

According to Cafebiz