Men Get Breast Cancer Too

Men CAN get Breast Cancer too! Although, Breast Cancer in men is quite rare.

Many people are unaware that men can develop breast cancer and therefore
neither individuals nor their doctors regularly examine men’s breasts.
1% of all breast cancers are found in men.  The annual incidence of breast
cancer for men increases steadily after age 35. It frequently occurs between
60-70 years old. A small study regarding male breast cancer found that the
average time between first symptom and diagnosis was 19 months, or over a
year and a half. That’s a very long time! This is probably because people
don’t expect breast cancer to happen to men, so there is little to no early
detection.

Early diagnosis can make a life-saving difference. With more research and
more public awareness, men will learn that-just like women-they need to go
to their doctor right away if they detect any persistent changes to their
breasts.

Breast cancer in men shows itself in all the ways it does in women:

• A lump found in the breast
• Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm
• Nipple discharge (clear or bloody)
• Pain in the nipple
• Inverted nipple
• Sores or dry patchy skin around the nipple
  

Men will usually undergo treatment for breast cancer that is virtually the
same as treatment for women.

Len Kay is a grandfather of seven, a recently retired educator with a deep love for teaching and an easy going, intelligent man. He is also a breast cancer survivor. Surprised? So was he.

"I did not know until within the last year that men can get breast cancer. I mean, one percent of the population (of men who get cancer) gets breast cancer, and I'm in that one percent."

Like most men, Len saw breast cancer as a "prevalent women thing" something for which his concern need only extend as far as the women in his life. Then one day his wife repeated a co-worker's story about a father-in-law who, noticing one day in the shower that his nipple was inverted, was diagnosed with male breast cancer. "And once she finished her story", recalls Len, "I said I've got an inverted nipple."

This realization was promptly followed by a diagnosis of breast cancer. As someone to whom knowledge and awareness is vital, Len quickly found out how frustrating lack of communication can be.

"I didn't know enough about it to ask intelligent questions, but I did want to know what's next." As soon as I got out of the hospital I went straight to the computer and got all kinds of information on men's breast cancer. I also went to Breast Cancer Support Services where I got understanding and lots of helpful information."

Breast cancer accounts for less than one percent of all cancers in men. Despite this low occurrence, the disease often has a lower survival rate in men than in women, due in a large part to a lack of awareness and therefore, later detection of the disease. Even men with visible indicators, such as Len's inverted nipple or a noticeable lump, often leave the matter unchecked, not realizing that breast cancer is a possibility.

The late stage at which male breast cancer is usually detected also accounts for the tendency towards more serious treatment. It was fortunate for Len that he stumbled on the issue when he did. Nevertheless, one has to wonder whether earlier detection could have resulted in a successful lumpectomy, an easier procedure that a radical mastectomy with the removal of 22 lymph nodes.

Len's attitude toward his treatment reveals both his positive approach to life and his active approach to health. "It would be very easy for me to go home and worry and to what avail? I'd be feeling sorry for myself, but nothing would be done to assist me in improving. So mind over matter. Let's get on with life and do what I've been doing and enjoy it."

These are the words of a man stubborn enough to continue working throughout treatment, strong enough not to let the disease interfere with him socially or emotionally and humble enough to look for support when he needed it. For Len, someone with a large, loving family and a well-developed social network, the support was everywhere. "The last thing I wanted was people putting their arm around me, saying 'poor person', because I wasn't a poor person, I was fine" he says, remembering the support he found most meaningful. "Just the fact that they were there and expressed interest and were concerned about me, but not overly."

Despite his emphasis on this casual support, Len recognizes the importance of open and honest expression of concerns and feelings. He is the first male survivor to attend one of the Breast Cancer Support Services Outreach Committee Meetings, a committee on which he intends to continue serving. With a laugh, he remembers the initial awkwardness surrounding his gender. As someone who had always enjoyed a close relationship with women, Len considers himself quite open to emotional sharing, while recognizing the difficulty men tend to have in this department. This unique perspective drives him to generate awareness of men's breast cancer where many men with the disease prefer not to talk about it. "I'm not at all hesitant about telling people," he explains.

Len's humor, dedication and loving nature are revealed when he speaks of his experience, and demonstrates the depth of his caring. It is this which makes his story so unique. As a man with breast cancer, he is one in a hundred. But as someone with the awareness, the commitment and the willingness to speak out about the issue, he is truly one in a million.

"Whatever communication comes out of this, whatever I'm involved in, I just hope somebody, somewhere says 'hey" I know Len Kay and maybe I should have a look in the mirror or check myself and see."