breast cancer and men
by Jenny Bryan
About 200 of the 34,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year are men. No one knows why they should get what is usually considered a woman's cancer. It's not because they are any less 'manly'.
© Getty
signs and symptoms
When Derek's right nipple became red and itchy, he took no notice at first. He didn't realise that an itchy, red nipple, a change in shape of the nipple or a discharge are all symptoms of male breast cancer. Even when his nipple became sore and uncomfortable he assumed he must have an infection or a cyst. But when he was told he had breast cancer, he was devastated, as Margaret, his wife recalls:
'He was totally and utterly destroyed because it was something he failed to admit to himself. He'd talked himself into a cyst or an abscess or an infection and it was soul destroying for him to find it was cancer.'
Find out more about warning signs in don't panic.
treatment
When a breast cancer nurse explained what the diagnosis meant and gave him some booklets, Derek soon found there was very little available for men with breast cancer.
'She kept taking pages out, saying "that's not relevant to you" and when she gave it to me most of what I read was regarding female breast cancer. The word "male" wasn't in it,' he says.
Fortunately, when Derek had bone scans and other tests, there was no sign that the cancer had spread. He had a mastectomy to get rid of the cancer and, just to be on the safe side, he decided to have a course of chemotherapy:
'I was frightened but my wife and I decided it was best to have it, and then hopefully I'll be able to carry on my life as normal.'
help and info
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organisations
Breast Cancer Care
Kiln House
210 New Kings Road
London SW6 4NZ
Helpline: 0808 800 6000 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm)
E-mail: info@breastcancercare.org.uk
Website: www.breastcancercare.org.uk
Offers information and support to women and men who have or fear they may have breast cancer, and their families and friends. A range of publications including booklets and factsheets on all aspects of breast cancer are available free on the website.
websites
Breastcancer.org
www.breastcancer.org/male_breast_cancer.html
A non-profit organisation for breast cancer education.
Cancer Index
www.cancerindex.org/clinks3m.htm
Information and resources relating to male breast cancer.
Cancer Research UK
www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=5075
Breast cancer information specifically for men.
John W Nick Foundation
www.johnwnickfoundation.org
A US-based site whose aim is to educate the world about the risk of breast cancer in both men and women, and provide preventive and reactive measures to cancer through education and health facilities.
Male Breast Cancer
ww.breastcancercare.org.uk/ ...
Free factsheet on male breast cancer, available on the Breast Cancer Care website.
Net Doctor
www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/health/203308.html
NetDoctor article which discusses male breast cancer.
reading
The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Male Breast Cancer: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age edited by James Parker and Philip Parker (Lightening Source UK, 2002)
A reference manual for self-directed patient research.
Get this book
(October 2002, resources updated January 2005)
