Breast cancer in men is rare, but it can happen. Here are the facts that can help you be more aware of your risk.

Most of the spotlight on breast cancer awareness is focused on women. It makes sense — more than 99% of breast cancers are diagnosed in women. But men can get breast cancer too. In 2024, an estimated 2,790 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 500 will die from it.

Maybe it’s not your top concern, but being aware of your risk is important. Men are often diagnosed at later stages than women, which lowers the likelihood of survival.

A large part of that disparity comes down to awareness, says Janie Grumley, M.D. She’s a breast surgical oncologist and director of the Margie Petersen Breast Center at Providence Saint John’s Center in Santa Monica, California.

“The main issue with breast cancer in men is that they still think they can’t get it,” she says. “So, the starting point for any discussion on this is: Yes, men can get breast cancer.”

Find out what men need to know about their breast cancer risk below.

Ask yourself: If you got sick and had to miss work, would you have enough to cover your bills? That’s where critical illness insurance can help. Explore it today.

Who is at risk of male breast cancer?

You may be surprised to learn that men have breast tissue. Both men and women are born with breast tissue, including milk ducts. During puberty, female hormones cause breast tissue to grow in women, resulting in larger breasts. The breast tissue in men remains largely unchanged, but it’s still there. And that small amount of breast tissue can become malignant, or cancerous, just like in women.

As with women, family history can be a major risk factor for male breast cancer, says Dr. Grumley. That’s true whether the family member with breast cancer is a man or a woman, she adds.

“We tend to think about breast cancer being passed on from woman to woman within a family — but thinking that way could exclude men in a family, who have just as much genetic risk,” she says.

If your mother, aunt and grandmother all had breast cancer, it’s “best to perform genetic testing on those with cancer” to determine if there’s a genetic link, Dr. Grumley suggests. If there is a mutation, then other family members, men included, will want to get tested to fully assess their breast cancer risk.

If the person with cancer cannot be tested, people with multiple family members with breast cancer and/or male breast cancer in the family will all want to get genetic testing, Dr. Grumley suggests. Genetic testing can determine whether you have certain inherited genetic changes (mutations) that increase your odds of getting breast cancer. Men can also pass those genes on to their children, so genetic testing can help determine their risk too.

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (which stands for BReast CAncer genes 1 and 2) are the most common. BRCA gene changes are rare, but they can significantly increase your risk of breast cancer. They can also increase your risk of prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. Your treatment plan may depend on whether your cancer is linked to a change in your genes too.

For those reasons, “if a man is diagnosed with breast cancer, genetic testing should be performed,” says Dr. Grumley.

Imagine a check, paid directly to you, to help with medical expenses if you were diagnosed with cancer. Explore supplemental critical illness insurance today.

Other risk factors for male breast cancer

Other than family history and genetics, the following factors can also increase your risk of breast cancer:

• Age. Your risk of most cancers increases with age. Most male breast cancers are found after age 50. The average age at diagnosis is 71.
• Radiation therapy. If you’ve had radiation therapy treatment on the chest, you have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
• Hormone therapy. Specifically, treatment with drugs containing estrogen increases your risk. Certain prescription drugs that contain estrogen, which were used to treat prostate cancer in the past, increase men’s breast cancer risk.
• Klinefelter syndrome. This is a rare genetic condition that can cause higher estrogen levels in men.
• Testicular issues. Injury to, swelling in or surgery to remove the testicles can increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Liver disease. Scarring of the liver can increase estrogen and lower male sex hormones, increasing the risk of breast cancer.
• Being overweight or obese. Male breast cancer is more common in older men who are overweight or obese, compared with men at a normal weight.

What are the signs of male breast cancer?

Unlike women, who are advised to have regular screenings for breast cancer, men are not usually screened for breast cancer even if they have a higher genetic risk, says Richard Reitherman, M.D., Ph.D. He’s the medical director of breast imaging at MemorialCare Breast Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.

For most men, the first sign of cancer is usually a lump in or around the breast. Other signs could include:

• Changes in the size of the breast
• Dimples or puckering of the skin over the breast
• The nipple turning inward
• Nipple discharge
• Red or flaky skin on the breast, nipple or area around the nipple

Talk to your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of those symptoms.

How is male breast cancer diagnosed and treated?

The diagnosis process is similar to the one for women, explains Dr. Reitherman:

• Your doctor will recommend a mammogram, which involves 2 or more X-ray images of both breasts.
• If a mass is seen on the mammogram, the next steps are an ultrasound and needle biopsy. If a mass is not seen on the mammogram, an ultrasound should be performed anyway, just as it would be for a woman.
• If cancer is found, more tests may be needed to figure out what kind of cancer it is, whether it has spread to other parts of the body, and the appropriate treatments.

About 90% of male breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas. This type of cancer begins in the ducts within the breast tissue. Because the ducts are connected to blood vessels and the lymphatic system, there’s always a concern that the cancer can spread to other parts of the body, Dr. Reitherman says.

“This is a concern at later stages, which is why it’s a consideration for men, who tend to come in later for diagnosis,” he says. In fact, 40% of men with breast cancer are diagnosed after the cancer has already spread, according to the National Library of Medicine. In contrast, about one-third of female breast cancers are diagnosed after they have spread.

Treatment usually follows a similar route as breast cancer in women, says Dr. Grumley. It may involve:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Surgery

The type of treatment you get depends on the size of the tumor and whether a lymph node is involved. From there, long-term monitoring is necessary, since men may be at risk of a recurrence of the cancer (as are women).

The good news: The survival rate with male breast cancer is very high. Ninety-five percent of men are still alive 5 years after diagnosis when breast cancer is caught before it spreads. Even when diagnosed after it has spread to nearby tissue, the 5-year survival rate is about 83%.

The main takeaway here is that just because male breast cancer is rare doesn’t mean it’s an impossibility. Take note and talk to your doctor if breast cancer runs in your family. And if you feel a lump, your best bet is to get it checked out.

A serious medical condition can quickly bust your health care budget. Learn how critical illness insurance can help you balance it again, or call a licensed insurance agent at 1-844-211-7730. 

For informational purposes only. This information is compiled by UnitedHealthcare and does not diagnose problems or recommend specific treatment. Services and medical technologies referenced herein may not be covered under your plan. Please consult directly with your primary care physician if you need medical advice.

Sources:

American Cancer Society. “Breast cancer survival rates in men.” February 28, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer-in-men/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About breast cancer in men.” November 13, 2023. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/about/men.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Family Health History and Cancer.” October 17, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/risk-factors/family-health-history.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fbreast-ovarian-cancer-hereditary%2Frisk-factors%2Ffamily-health-history-and-the-brca1-and-brca2-genes.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Talking to Family About Your BRCA Gene Mutation.” August 28, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/breast-ovarian-cancer-hereditary/conversation-tips/index.html

Cleveland Clinic. “Male Breast Cancer.” March 24, 2023. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9011-male-breast-cancer

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “U.S. Cancer Statistics Breast Cancer Stat Bite.” June 13, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/united-states-cancer-statistics/publications/breast-cancer-stat-bite.html

National Cancer Institute. “Male breast cancer treatment (PDQ®) — health professional version.” January 31, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/hp/male-breast-treatment-pdq

National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. “Breast cancer in men.” February 14, 2023. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007653.htm

National Library of Medicine: StatPearls. “Male breast cancer.” September 26, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526036/

Compliance code:
51787-X-1224