Even though one in eight women in the US will be at risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime, it is not always necessary that only women can have this disease. Recently a 69-year-old man was diagnosed with breast cancer after he noticed a lump, the size of a frozen pea, in his left breast and after an ultrasound scan, the reports showed that he had a tumour and he underwent a full mastectomy.
Men with breast cancer are very unusual as the Cancer Research UK stated that this disease is rare in male individuals, with 390 diagnosed each year compared to 54,800 women. But in the recent case, the grandfather-of-two from Llandudno Junction, Vince Kitching booked an appointment with his general physician and then found that he had developed breast cancer. However, the elderly patient has now recovered after the discovery in May.
A rare case of male breast cancer
As reported by BBC, Kitching said, "Me and my wife Helen were devastated when we were told the news I had breast cancer," but "I was very lucky as I didn't have any pain following my surgery and recovered very quickly." A week later his surgeon told him that cancer had not spread, so there will be no need for further treatment.
The surgeon Chiara Sirianni described male breast cancer as "quite rare" and mentioned that it represented about 1 percent of all cases. In addition, she advised men to remain aware and to report to their general physician any new lumps on the breast or chest, especially if they notice any changes in the skin.
Male breast cancer is most common in older men, though it can occur at any age and people diagnosed with male breast cancer at an early stage have a good chance for a cure. Treatment typically involves surgery to remove the breast tissue as well as other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy which can be recommended based on the patient's particular situation.
However, it's not clear what causes male breast cancer. Doctors know that male breast cancer occurs when some breast cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do and form a tumour that may spread (metastasize) to nearby tissue, to the lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.
