Many mistakenly believe breast cancer affects only women; however, men also face a risk, albeit rarely, accounting for less than 1% of all cases. Specialist Doctor II Tran Thi Minh Trang from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Military Central Hospital 108, recently treated an 84-year-old man who developed a painless breast lump that rapidly increased in size. Diagnostic results confirmed the patient had invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Doctors prescribed chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before radical surgical removal.
A man's lifetime probability of developing breast cancer ranges from 1/1,000 to 1/755, much lower than for women. The risk increases with age, concentrating in the 60 to 70 age group. Because male breast tissue is very thin, tumors can invade the skin and chest wall muscles more quickly than in women.
The clearest warning signs include: a hard, painless lump near or behind the nipple, nipple deformity, retraction or inversion, bloody discharge, skin ulceration or an orange peel texture (peau d'orange) in the breast area, and swollen lymph nodes in the armpit. Upon detecting these abnormal signs, patients should immediately visit a specialized medical facility for clinical examination, ultrasound, mammography, and core needle biopsy to determine the nature of malignant cells before MRI or CT scans are performed to stage the disease.
The treatment protocol for male breast cancer is similar to that for women, integrating radical mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection, combined with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or anti-estrogen hormone therapy. Notably, men with breast cancer have a relatively high rate of inherited gene mutations. Therefore, doctors recommend that patients undergo gene sequencing tests, especially for BRCA2 and BRCA1 mutations, to guide targeted therapy and early cancer screening for direct relatives.
High-risk groups include: individuals with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, those with Klinefelter syndrome (an extra X chromosome causing endocrine disorders), individuals who have undergone chest radiation therapy, cirrhosis, or obesity, which leads to elevated estrogen levels in the body. Doctor Trang advises men to overcome their reluctance and proactively perform regular manual breast checks to detect lesions early, as early detection offers the highest prognosis for survival.
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