Symptoms of male breast cancer

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on November 17, 2024
00:00
00:00

The clinical symptoms of male breast cancer are generally similar to those of females, mainly presenting as painless, progressive enlargement of breast lumps. These breast lumps usually occur under the areola, and some patients may experience nipple inversion or abnormal nipple discharge. Many breast lumps tend to have unclear boundaries with surrounding tissues and often adhere to the skin or chest muscles. Many patients with male breast cancer experience metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes, causing the metastatic lymph nodes to enlarge and become painful, local lymphatic drainage obstruction, and causing local upper limb swelling and pain. Moreover, some male breast cancer cases have metastasized to the lungs, presenting clinically with symptoms such as coughing and chest pain related to the respiratory system. Some patients with male breast cancer have liver metastasis, clinically presenting with pain in the liver area, decreased appetite, and abnormal coagulation functions.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
37sec home-news-image

Breast Cancer Screening Methods

Breast cancer screening methods start with manual palpation to check for lumps. Second, mammography is used, which is the most effective method for early diagnosis of breast cancer with a sensitivity of 80%-90%. Additionally, breast ultrasound and B-ultrasound examinations can be performed, which are simple, safe, and non-invasive. Another available method is breast MRI, which provides more accurate differentiation between benign and malignant tumors. Lastly, a biopsy using a hollow needle can also be done.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Fan Hong Qiao
Breast Health Department
1min 10sec home-news-image

Does breast cancer have a genetic component?

Breast cancer is somewhat related to genetics and has a certain familial predisposition. It manifests as a higher incidence rate in relatives with breast cancer, especially in closer blood relations, and daughters may develop the disease at an earlier age than their mothers. There is also a higher risk of bilateral occurrence and a tendency for other malignant tumors to develop in different parts of the body. Additionally, if a family has at least two sisters with breast cancer and their mother is not afflicted by the disease, the susceptibility of this family is about three times higher than average, commonly occurring after menopause, and usually affecting one side. Of course, the influence of human genetic factors on the development of breast cancer is multifaceted. The occurrence of breast cancer is affected not only by genetic factors but also by many other factors, which have a cumulative effect of risks. It is recommended that individuals from families with a history of breast cancer should undergo regular screening, improve their lifestyle, and avoid the accumulation of risk factors, which can also enable earlier detection and treatment of breast cancer that has already developed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Chao Jie
Breast Surgery
58sec home-news-image

Breast Cancer Surgery Plan

The surgical plan for breast cancer is a significant issue, as it involves determining whether the breast cancer is in its early stages, the location of the cancerous mass in the breast, whether the axilla and lymph nodes are affected, and whether there are distant metastases, among other factors, in order to make a comprehensive judgment. Therefore, breast cancer surgery is designed based on the location and size of the tumor in the breast, whether the skin and axillary lymph nodes are involved. For early-stage breast cancer, there are surgical methods that allow for the preservation of the breast and even the axilla, known as breast-conserving and axilla-conserving surgery. If a patient with breast cancer can receive such treatment, they have more than a 70% chance of completely curing the disease, while still retaining the breast and axilla. Thus, there are multiple surgical options for breast cancer, and each individual’s situation is different.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
37sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of breast cancer

The initial symptom of early breast cancer is a painless, single small lump with no redness or swelling around the skin. However, a few individuals may experience nipple discharge, typically fresh or stale blood. There may be slight indentations on the skin and some itching. Visually, some individuals might notice inverted nipples and lymph node metastasis under the armpits. The lump often has unclear boundaries, is hard in texture, has limited mobility, adheres to the skin, and is difficult to move within the breast tissue.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
41sec home-news-image

Types of breast cancer surgery

Breast cancer surgery types are generally still dominated by modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy can be divided into two types; one preserves both the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles, and the other removes the pectoralis minor muscle but preserves the pectoralis major muscle. Another option is breast-conserving surgery, which is feasible for tumors smaller than three centimeters and at least two centimeters away from the nipple. Nowadays, sentinel lymph node biopsy has become popular. If it proves that the sentinel lymph node has no metastasis, a single mastectomy can be performed.