Pictures of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms

The symptoms of breast cancer in men are a painless lump behind the nipple or discharge from the nipple. Breast cancer is not something that men think about. There is no conversation about it because it is rare. But just because it is rare, does not mean men don’t get it. One percent of breast cancer is found in men. One percent is still a lot of men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The symptoms of breast cancer in men are subtle and aren’t noticed until it is in advanced stages. In the advanced stages, the symptoms of breast cancer in men are finding a lump or thickening in the armpit where your lymph node is. If this is the case, you must go to see your doctor as soon as possible.

Because breast cancer is not very common in men, there is not a lot of research about it. There is not a routine screening for detecting it early before it metastasizes. There is no awareness about breast cancer in men because men aren’t thought of to have breasts. Men have a small amount of breast tissue behind the nipple. That is where cancer starts. Once it is found the whole breast is removed. Since there is a small amount of breast tissue, it makes sense to take out all of the breast tissue, instead of doing a lumpectomy like they do in women with breast cancer. Chemotherapy is used a lot on men because it seems to work better than radiation after the surgery.

If you are a man with breast cancer, since it is not very common, you may be asked to be in a clinical trial. Clinical trials help us move forward with new treatments and cures for breast cancer in men and women. Until then, be aware of the symptoms of breast cancer in men. It’s not the first thing you would think about as a man, but if you feel a lump in your breast get it checked out immediately. Eat right and drink plenty of water and exercise. Be in touch with your body and know what is normal for you. Then when something shows up, like a bump on your chest, you will know that it is something to pay attention to. Something you need to show your doctor.