male breast cancer

suemac
suemac Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Has anyone had experience dealing with breast cancer in males? Treatment?

Comments

  • manna1qd
    manna1qd Member Posts: 46
    #2
    I do not no the specifics but my friend's brother had radiation and chemo after a mastectomy. I think there is a great need for more information and groups. Hope you get some answers here.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    No experience, but I did a search at the bottom of the page for "male breast cancer" on past discussion board postings and there were quite a few references. You might see what has been discussed previously. Good luck.
    Joyce
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #4
    I have met a few guys that had breast cancer. They are often found quite a bit later in breast cancer progression because they fail to see themselves at risk. About one or two percent of the cases of breast cancer happen to guys, but the rate of breast cancer in men is rising even faster than the rate of breast cancer in women.It can be genetic in cause, so men in families with lots of female breast cancer should be on guard. They are usually older when found than the average age of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment is similar to that of women: surgery, radiation (if a lumpectomy is possible), followed by chemo. The male survivor I knew best refused removal of his testicles. Yep. They are often urged to do that to stop hormone production and possibly reduce the progression of the hormone-driven cancer. He said that in Europe men were offered shots to lower testosterone or given tamoxifen instead. He insisted and was put on tamoxifen, much against the local doctor's wishes. He had the same chemo as women endure, but noted that little or no research has been done to see if men react with the same benefits to the treatment that works on women. I would get to the best university breast cancer treatment specialist you can get to and consult with them on the latest in current research so you get the best treatment possible. They can do your chemotherapy anywhere, but you want to make sure it is the best regime you can get before you do it. By the way, I hear that men (even if they don't admit it) benefit from reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy even more than women do. They may not have to worry about their curves and how they look in an evening dress, but they do go topless at the beach and in the gym showers. It will save a lot of stares and embarrassing explanations if they will talk to the plastic surgeon about DIEP flap, Tram flap, or other reconstructive surgeries, some of which can be done at the same time as surgery. The biggest problem the guys I talked to had was doing too much right after surgery. Another problem was all the pink in the waiting room and the fact that the nurses always thought they were just there for their wives. Good luck!
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #5
    cabbott said:

    I have met a few guys that had breast cancer. They are often found quite a bit later in breast cancer progression because they fail to see themselves at risk. About one or two percent of the cases of breast cancer happen to guys, but the rate of breast cancer in men is rising even faster than the rate of breast cancer in women.It can be genetic in cause, so men in families with lots of female breast cancer should be on guard. They are usually older when found than the average age of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Treatment is similar to that of women: surgery, radiation (if a lumpectomy is possible), followed by chemo. The male survivor I knew best refused removal of his testicles. Yep. They are often urged to do that to stop hormone production and possibly reduce the progression of the hormone-driven cancer. He said that in Europe men were offered shots to lower testosterone or given tamoxifen instead. He insisted and was put on tamoxifen, much against the local doctor's wishes. He had the same chemo as women endure, but noted that little or no research has been done to see if men react with the same benefits to the treatment that works on women. I would get to the best university breast cancer treatment specialist you can get to and consult with them on the latest in current research so you get the best treatment possible. They can do your chemotherapy anywhere, but you want to make sure it is the best regime you can get before you do it. By the way, I hear that men (even if they don't admit it) benefit from reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy even more than women do. They may not have to worry about their curves and how they look in an evening dress, but they do go topless at the beach and in the gym showers. It will save a lot of stares and embarrassing explanations if they will talk to the plastic surgeon about DIEP flap, Tram flap, or other reconstructive surgeries, some of which can be done at the same time as surgery. The biggest problem the guys I talked to had was doing too much right after surgery. Another problem was all the pink in the waiting room and the fact that the nurses always thought they were just there for their wives. Good luck!

    Just one thing to add....sons of mothers with BRCA1 or 2 positive genes have a higher risk of breast cancer (naturally) but can ALSO have a risk of testicular cancer...all from these ity, bity genes....

    Hugs, Kathi
  • ManWithaMission
    ManWithaMission Member Posts: 497
    #6
    Male Breast Cancer
    To answer your queston about Male Breast Cancer and treatment,I am a 55yr.old man with Breast
    Cancer.I had a mascetomy,chemotherapy and radiation due to the size of my tumor.There are no differances for Male Breast Cancer treatment than for women.When I was diagnosed last August
    I had a radical mascetomy to remove a 5cm tumor & 23 lymph nodes(6 of which were positive).
    My chemotherapy was Cytoxin and Taxotere,three sessions-three weeks apart,because of a heart
    condition.Radiation was seven weeks,five days a week,for an hour.After that I started taking
    Tamoxifen(for the next five years)to block the estrogen that my body is making.I have not
    heard anything about reconstructive surgery being good for men? I,personaly,don't want it!
    I have not been any place yet that I have to be "topless" yet,but I'm not ashamed to "show" my
    scare or answer personal questions about it.As a matter of fact,I look forward to it.Maybe
    that is the only way to get the word out about Male Breast Cancer!

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