Welcome Everyone! It’s time for another HEALTH and #WELLNESS WEDNESDAY! And, in honor of BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, we’re going to continue our discussion of this cancer. But, this time we’re going to focus on the men in our lives. Because breast cancer is not just a woman’s disease. It is, unfortunately, an equal opportunity disease that can strike men as well as women. So, let’s get started with MALE BREAST CANCER — FOUR MAJOR RISK FACTORS AND FOUR IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS.
To begin, breast cancer is a rare condition in men. In the United States, for example, approximately fifteen hundred men are diagnosed with the disease each year. By comparison, the number of women diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States is about one hundred times greater — or close to 150,000 cases annually. So, WHY the discrepancy? WHY is there such a difference in the rates of this disease among men and women?
To understand this, we need to understand the structure and development of the human breast. So, let’s get a little scientific for a minute. In The Single Source Cancer Course, Volume 1, we discuss fetal growth and the fact that it’s fairly identical for both sexes throughout the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. Both females and males are born with nipples because this tissue develops during the first trimester. At the end of the first trimester, however, the sex of the fetus is determined — and at this point the fetus will continue to develop as either a female or a male.
Now, after birth the female and male breasts remain basically the same until puberty. At this time, human hormones kick in — estrogen in the female and testosterone in the male. Estrogen increases the growth of structures known as ducts and milk glands in the female. It also increases the growth of fat and connective tissue in the female.
In contrast, testosterone suppresses the growth of these structures in the male. Accordingly, the male breast is composed primarily of undeveloped ducts with a small amount of fat and connective tissue. Yet, all men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast tissue, which means tissue that cannot produce milk. This tissue is concentrated directly behind the male nipple on the chest wall. And, it is this tissue — in both females and males — that is susceptible to the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells associated with breast cancer.
Okay, so what appears to “cause” this uncontrolled cellular growth in men? Well, not surprisingly, many of the risk factors associated with female breast cancer are associated with male breast cancer as well. And, here are the FOUR MAJOR RISK FACTORS every man needs to know:
1) RADIATION EXPOSURE: Men who have undergone radiation therapy for a condition affecting the chest area — such as a malignancy resulting from Hodgkin’s lymphoma or a tumor of the lung — have an increased risk for developing breast cancer.
2) INCREASED LEVELS OF ESTROGEN: More estrogen in males results in breast enlargement — a condition known as gynecomastia. Breast enlargement results in a higher risk for developing breast cancer. There are three primary conditions that are associated with an increase in estrogen and breast enlargement in men. They are 1) Klinefelter’s Syndrome, 2) cirrhosis of the liver, and 3) obesity.
One at a time, Klinefelter’s Syndrome is an inherited condition that affects about one in one thousand men. Men normally inherit an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father. Men with Klinefelter’s have inherited an extra female X chromosome from their mother resulting in an abnormal chromosomal makeup of XXY instead of the normal XY. Due to the “extra X” chromosome, these men produce higher levels of estrogen — which results in breast enlargement — which increases their risk for breast cancer.
Similarly, cirrhosis of the liver can result from chronic viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse or a rare genetic condition. All, however, compromise liver function. And when this occurs, the levels of male and female hormones in the bloodstream are altered. Men with cirrhosis of the liver typically have higher blood levels of estrogen and, therefore, an increased risk for breast cancer. And, of course, obesity is associated with higher levels of estrogen in both males and females — which again increases one’s risk for breast cancer.
3) FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY: Yes, genetics. Now, this is interesting. We all know that an anomaly of the BRCA 1 and 2 genes in women is associated with an increased risk for different cancers including that of the breast and ovaries. We also know that women who have family members with breast cancer have a greater risk themselves for developing the disease. But, did you know that men who have several female relatives with breast cancer also have an increased risk for developing breast cancer? Men with such a family history may have inherited an anomaly of the BRCA 2 gene — and if so, they also have a significantly greater risk for developing breast cancer. Moreover, if this anomaly exists, the risk for developing prostate cancer also increases.
4) FINASTERIDE: Also known as Propecia or Proscar, this drug has been used to treat hair loss, benign conditions of the prostate such as hyperplasia and to prevent prostate cancer. Unfortunately, its use to improve or prevent one condition may result in creating another harmful condition — in this case, breast cancer.
And, now for the FOUR IMPORTANT SYMPTOMS of male breast cancer:
1) Any lump or bump in the breast tissue;
2) A change in the shape of the nipple;
3) Discoloration, redness or scaling of the nipple or skin of the breast, and;
4) Discharge from the nipple.
So, for the men in our audience, know your family medical history! Know your personal medical history! Pay attention to your body and always consult with your physician should you have any concerns or questions.
We are all — women AND men — in this fight together. And, I extend my personal thanks to those men who used their diagnosis and celebrity to raise awareness of this disease in order to help others! Actor Richard Roundtree, Senator Edward Brooke, musician Peter Criss, television personality Rod Roddy and football great Ernie Green — as we move through Breast Cancer Awareness Month together — I salute you all!
Thanks for joining me everyone! Stay in GOOD HEALTH and until next time,
TAKE THE COURSE AND TAKE CHARGE!
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