Breast Cancer in Men - know the treatments

Did you think men can’t get breast cancer? Well, you’re wrong!

Everyone is born with some breast cells and tissues. Though males do not produce milk, a man can still develop cancer. Sometimes one is not aware of cancer in themselves. Doctors specialized for breast cancer treatments in Pune diagnose cancer in an early stage and also cure it to the best of their ability.

Breast cancer starts when the cells in the breast get enlarged. The cells usually form a tumor that can be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump.

Breast cancer in men is very rare. It forms in the breast tissues of men. The stage of your cancer is an important factor for your treatment options. Tests and treatments may be recommended depending on your specific situation.

Stages & Treatments for Male Breast Cancer:

Stage 1

The treatment for stage 1 breast cancer is to remove it with surgery. It is done by mastectomy. It is also done to examine the underarm or axillary lymph nodes. Surgeons also take out one or more lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread.

The lymph nodes under the arm will be checked for how far the cancer has spread, with an Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND) or Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB).

If the sentinel lymph node contains cancer, the surgeon may perform ALND to remove more lymph nodes to look for cancer, depending on the stage of cancer, the features of the tumor, and the amount of cancer in the sentinel lymph nodes.

Stage 2

The cancers are likely to be larger than stage 1 cancers or could have spread to nearby lymph nodes. Systemic therapy treatment is for men with stage 2 breast cancer. After surgery radiation therapy is recommended.

The width of the tissue, depending on- type of surgery, size of tumor, number of cancerous lymph nodes under the arm, is removed by the surgeon.

Stage 3

This stage includes tumors growing into nearby skin or muscles.

These cancers are treated with chemotherapy before surgery. Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery to shrink a large tumor and make surgery easier.

For HER2-positive tumors, the drug trastuzumab is given as well, sometimes along with pertuzumab. Chemotherapy is given on many different schedules. It may be given once a week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or even once every 4 weeks.

Stage 4

Stage 4 cancer spreads beyond the breast into nearby lymph nodes and other parts of the body. Breast gradually spreads to the bones, liver, and lungs at this stage. It may spread to the brain and affect organs and tissues.

The treatment for this may include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these. Some breast cancers need certain hormones to grow. Hormone therapy blocks the effect of these hormones and slows the growth of the tumor and kills the cancer cells.

People who have breast cancer or who have recovered from it will need check-ups with the doctor very frequently. Getting regular medical care and checkups is key to staying healthy.