Signs & Symptoms of Breast Cancer for Males

Video Transcript

"Self-breast examinations are equally important amongst men as they are in women. The incidence rate of male breast cancer has increased every year since 1975, making male breast cancer an increased threat to the men all throughout the world. As a matter of fact, this year approximately 1,700 to 1,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although the symptoms are the same in male breast cancer as they are in female breast cancer, men typically don't associate their symptoms to the breast cancer disease because they don't think they can contract it. A man should pay special attention to any changes in his breast tissue on a monthly basis through breast self-examination, and becoming more aware of the normal look and feel of your breast will help you detect those changes sooner rather than later. The symptoms for male breast cancer are similar to that of the female breast cancer in that a large breast cancer tumor will be able to be detected as a mass whether hard or soft, with uneven edges creating a lump in the skin. Some breast cancers actually cause skin puckering or dimpling, such as this diagram here, where the roots of the breast cancer are pulling the skin down into the breast tissue. Unfortunately, again, since men rarely associate their breast cancer symptoms to the disease, they allow breast cancer to grow and spread, as is the case with this diagram here where the cancerous tumor is growing into the chest wall or the muscle. This causes breast cancer to be more difficultly treated, and also increases the mortality rates creating a higher mortality rate amongst men as it is in women. A man should also be looking for nipple discharge such as this diagram shows, or a rash on the skin which may result in what's called inflammatory breast cancer, or IBC. Any changes in the shape or color of the breast tissue should be immediately reported to your physician. Remember, men get breast cancer too, and the early detection of breast cancer may save your life."