BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: WHAT MEN NEED TO KNOW

Breast cancer in women is becoming more and more common over the years but very few know that breast cancer also affects men, it is not as common in men as it is in women but there still some men who experience it, they may not get diagnosed for it in the early stages, some tend to ignore the signs due to fear of stigma and may be diagnosed at a more advanced stage and have a poorer outcome as compared to women.

It tends to grow in the small amount of breast tissue found behind the male nipple, it usually happens in men over the age of 60 but can also affect those younger. The outlook on breast cancer in men varies depending on how far across it has spread by the time of diagnosis, if detected early it is possible to cure it. In the event that it has spread beyond the breast a cure is less likely, in this case treatment can relieve your symptoms.

SYMPTOMS

• A lump in the breast this is usually hard, painless and does not move around within the breast.
• the nipple turning inwards.
• fluid oozing from the nipple, especially with the presence of blood.
• A sore or rash around the nipple that does not go away.
• Changes to your nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward

RISK FACTORS

• Older age
• Exposure to estrogen
• Family history of breast cancer
• Klinefelter’s syndrome
• Liver disease
• Obesity
• Testicle disease or surgery

Through out Breast cancer Awareness month, different organizations have committed themselves to disseminate information to the public through various means including events in order to raise the much awareness needed. They have made great efforts in ensuring that information is put out there which is evident because we now have more and more people getting to know about the disease and facilities have witnessed more people getting screened regularly as compared to previous years.