NEW DELHI New Delhi: Breast cancer is often considered a women's disease, but men also suffer from this deadly disease. However, stigma leads to delays in their diagnosis and treatment, potentially leading to poor outcomes, experts said on Wednesday. October is celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 0.5-1 percent of breast cancers occur in men. Although this percentage may seem small, it means that thousands of men around the world face this disease every year. Dr Ramesh Sarin, senior consultant, surgical oncology, Apollo Cancer Centre, told IANS: “Despite its rarity, breast cancer in men is often diagnosed later than women.
Many men are unaware that they may have breast cancer, leading to a delay in detection. However, timely detection significantly improves survival rates.” He said, “One of the biggest challenges in dealing with male breast cancer is the stigma surrounding it. Many men feel embarrassed or vulnerable by a diagnosis traditionally associated with women. This stigma can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment, leading to poor outcomes.” The most common type of male breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), which starts in the ducts and spreads into nearby tissue. Other types include invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), Paget's disease of the nipple, and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is a non-invasive form.
According to Sarin, the symptoms of breast cancer in men are similar to those in women. As women, men may also notice lumps or thickening in the breast tissue, changes in the skin covering the breast, such as dimpling, redness, or scaling, changes in the nipple, such as redness or scaling, or the nipple turning inward, or Possible symptoms to be aware of, such as nipple discharge. “It's important to note that most breast lumps in men are not cancerous. However, any abnormal changes should be immediately evaluated by a health care professional,” Sarin said.
Age, family history, genetic mutation, radiation exposure, liver disease and obesity are risk factors that can increase the risk of developing breast cancer in men: Dr Anshuman Kumar, Director of Surgical Oncology, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, on living a healthy lifestyle. And the need to avoid highly processed foods.
“Processed and highly processed foods, especially when consumed heated in plastic containers, release harmful chemicals like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), which have been linked to disrupting hormonal balance and increasing the risk of cancer,” Kumar told IANS. “Irregular eating habits and exposure to food adulteration, pesticides and heavy metals make the situation worse.”
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