Male Breast Cancer

One in 40 men and women of Ashkenazi (Central or Eastern European) Jewish descent carries a BRCA gene mutation, more than 10 times the rate of the general population, making Jewish families significantly more susceptible to hereditary cancer. Men with a BRCA mutation have an increased risk to develop melanoma, male breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Men who carry a BRCA mutation have a 50% chance of passing that alteration on to each of their sons and daughters.

For men of all backgrounds, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. With a BRCA1 mutation, their lifetime risk is approximately 1%, and with a BRCA2 mutation, as much as 4-6%. Men need to know that breast cancer is not limited to only women. Possible symptoms of breast cancer to watch for include:

  • A lump or swelling, which is usually (but not always) painless

  • Skin dimpling or puckering

  • Nipple retraction (turning inward)

  • Redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin

  • Discharge from the nipple

Sometimes a breast cancer can spread to lymph nodes under the arm or around the collar bone and cause a lump or swelling there, even before the original tumor in the breast tissue is large enough to be felt. These changes aren’t always caused by cancer. For example, most breast lumps in men are caused by gynecomastia (a harmless enlargement of breast tissue). Still, if you notice any breast changes, you should see a health care professional as soon as possible . (*American Cancer Society)

To Learn more about hereditary cancer and men click here.

All Sharsheret programs and resources are available free of charge, confidential, and open for all women, men, and families. Following is a list of other organizations, websites, and resources, by topic, which may have their own costs, guidelines, and restrictions. Our clinical team can help you determine which resources are best for you.

 

Male breast cancer support and outreach organizations:

His Breast Cancer
https://www.hisbreastcancer.org/

Male Breast Cancer Coalition
https://mbcglobalalliance.org/

General information about male breast cancer and risk:

Cancer.gov
https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/male-breast-treatment-pdq

American Cancer Society:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html

LBBC
http://www.lbbc.org/infocusmen

Breastcancer.org
http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/brca-mutations-up-cancer-risk-in-men

Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance
https://mbcglobalalliance.org/
“Our mission is for no man to ever feel alone when hearing the words, ‘You have breast cancer.'”

We Can Help

Sharsheret’s Men’s Programming is Made Possible by Generous Support from: