Medical experts warned that the number of breast cancer cases among males is consistently increasing in the U.S.
Although instances of this disease affecting men are still considered rare, it should still be regarded as a serious health issue.
Based on the data gathered by the American Cancer Society, 2,350 new cases of breast cancer among men are expected to be recorded before this year ends. The organization also predicted that about 440 men will die from the disease.
The expected number of cases may seem a bit big, but it is significantly smaller compared to the number of affected women in the country. According to the organization, the number of females expected to develop breast cancer is expected to reach 231,840 this year.
"It's relatively unusual," Lynda Weeks, the executive director of the cancer research firm Susan G. Komen Louisville said according to USA Today. "The figure is approximately one in 1,000, so far less than females, but typically men are diagnosed at a later stage."
As noted by Weeks, one of the factors behind the rise in breast cancer cases among men is the period when the disease is detected.
Dr. Janell Seegar of the Norton Cancer Institute explained that since men do not have as many tissues in the breast as women, cancer cells can immediately spread and reach the nipples, chest muscles and lymph nodes. This means they have already infected other parts of the body before they are detected.
She noted that like in women, the key to defeating breast cancer in men is through early detection. Fortunately, the same treatment methods used on females can also be applied to males.
"We have tons of data on how to treat women," she said according to USA Today. "The treatment recommendations from those studies seem to be very appropriate to men. We do mammograms and an ultrasound, then a biopsy - just like we do in women."
Doctors recommend getting regular check-ups because by the time a man detects a lump on his body, this means that the cancer is already on its advanced stage, according to the Pantagraph.
According to experts, the chances of men getting breast cancer can be identified through a number of factors including family history, alcohol consumption, obesity, testicular conditions, aging and use of estrogen treatments.
Due to the rise in breast cancer cases, the public should keep in mind that that various awareness campaigns and programs about this disease do not only apply to women, but to men as well.
