Trying to get pregnant might be an extremely aggravating for those who discover it much more durable than anticipated. For some reason, many couples suppose that after they determine to begin a household it’s going to just happen. Unfortunately, for many of us this is not the case. There are after all many medical reasons why conception would not take place. Consulting your physician is all the time step one to try to set up if there are any underlying medical conditions. This is applicable to the man as well as the lady and isn’t all the time an easy downside which might be easily resolved. Nevertheless, for many circumstances there is now a far greater chance of success than there has ever been before. Medical data will increase day by day, and sometimes it is the simplest resolution that can ensure a wholesome pregnancy.

Trying to get pregnant can typically be the very reason being pregnant is evading you. As an example, the stress when you do not conceive instantly can construct up in your mind and create a barrier. Once you change into pressured you tense your muscle mass and this affects the blood move through your body. This will have a bad effect upon your general health, and certainly will make conception less seemingly in some people. A wholesome body is step one towards creating a wholesome baby. Your life-style and consuming habits might be contributing to your failure to conceive. This may be easily remedied by starting to eat meals that can give your body the essential vitamins and minerals it needs.

Eating a balanced food regimen of fresh fruit and greens, ideally organic, and cutting again on fast meals and trans fat, will not solely make you’re feeling more healthy but it’s going to additionally give you an elevated chance of conception. An added bonus is the truth that a properly balanced food regimen will increase the probabilities of having a wholesome baby of normal start weight. Article Supply and associated Hyperlinks: ways to get pregnant, panic attack treatment and panic attacks.

Its incidence is in rise in the developing countries, may be due to the life style changes. Breast Cancer Ribbon TattoosThis cancer, the most accessible cancer; has generated much interest in the recent past in understanding its process of development, the genetics and developing more effective treatment modalities. The surgery has evolved from maximum dissection to minimal and more conservative approach. Newer chemotherapeutic drugs are coming up as well as more precision radiotherapy. Approach to breast cancer has become essentially multidisciplinary in the last decade or two. Here we will search literature to add more knowledge to our existing views on this cancer. The views expressed in it may not be conclusive, may be in a trial phase and does not anyway supersede the opinion of treating doctor of a patient.

Notch pathway in cell division and its inhibitors: The primitive cells during development of baby and also later in life are capable of differentiating to one or other cell types. This recruitment of daughter cells and their multiplication is largely controlled by what is called a Notch pathway. These primitive cells are called the stem cells; can form e.g. bone cell, muscle cell and heart cell etc. This notch pathway is also responsible for regulated tissue growth i.e. no excess or no less; through communication between the cells. It can be likened to cells having sensors on their outer membrane, represented by notch a protein. The communication may be something like this: one cell will say to its neighbor cell; “Hi, I am dividing to muscle cell; you need not go in that line”, “Oh yeah, you carry on; I am going in the line of breast cells”, would be the reply. Again to have controlled growth close contact between the cells is required. The Notch would be keeping close contact between cells, may be in a way something like this;”Hello my dear neighbor come closer and closer, do not go away.”

Any derangement in this notch may give rise to uncontrolled growth of cells. In cancer, there are stem cells which divide continuously to give rise to a visible tumor. These stem cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and could be the cause of recurrence of cancer, at least in some 1% of breast cancers; which also makes a large number. So the Notch inhibitors can be instrumental in controlling some cases of breast cancer recurrence, when used in addition to chemotherapy. “The Notch pathway regulates self-renewal of stem cells and research indicates that it also regulates cancer stem cell self-renewal, the impact of using a Notch inhibitor was to sensitize a significant proportion of otherwise treatment-resistant cancer stem cells. This supports the notion that a select sub-population of cells in breast cancer is largely responsible for disease recurrence and cancer spread.” I quote from a study’s lead author, Jenny Chang, M.D., professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. She and her team implanted mice with human breast cancer biopsy material that included breast cancer stem cells, and then gave them a Notch inhibitor (MRK-003) or a placebo. MRK-003 significantly reduced formation of clusters of tumor cells called mammospheres, when compared with placebo.

Role of spices like turmeric and piperine: As Reported by HealthDay News, 2009 December 11, breast stem cells appear to be sensitive to certain spices. When researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center applied curcumin and piperine to breast cancer cells, they noted that the number of stem cells (but not normal cells) decreased. Curcumin is a component of turmeric, and piperine is found in black pepper. Both of these dietary compounds have been studied previously for their effects against cancer, but this is the first study to evaluate their effects on stem cells.

Alcohol and cancer: Even a few glasses of wine or cocktails a week may increase the risk of recurrence for breast cancer survivors, researchers found. Women who averaged three to four or more drinks per week were 34% more likely to have a recurrence, than those who drank less than once a week; according to an observational study led by Marilyn L. Kwan, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif. Likewise, breast cancer-specific mortality risk rose to 51% for the regular drinkers among breast cancer survivors; Kwan’s group reported at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. After a breast cancer diagnosis, women who drink alcohol should consider cutting back, they recommended.

Amplification of fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 in breast cancer: Shiang CY, Qi Y, Wang B, Lazar V, Wang J, Fraser Symmans W, Hortobagyi GN, Andre F, Pusztai L., Department of Breast Medical Oncology, USA, studied that: fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR-1) is amplified in 10% of human breast cancers. A FGFR-1 small molecule inhibitor may have direct anti-proliferative effects in addition to its’ anti-angiogenic effects. According to Kristjansdottir K, Dizon D.Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, USA, a human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (HER)-dimerization inhibitor that represent a novel class of agents, aimed at blocking HER2 from pairing with other receptors of the HER family, may play a role in the management of HER2-positive breast cancers. Trastuzumab is one of the drugs of this group.

Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here

Effect of osteoporosis inhibitor drugs on breast cancer: Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, led by Brufsky, concluded that zoledronic acid, a bisphosphonate, is safe and effective for use by postmenopausal women with breast cancer; who are being treated with aromatase inhibitors. Bone mineral density increased 6.2 percent in women taking zoledronic acid, compared with 2.4 percent in the control group. Fractures were also reduced slightly in the treatment group. It may be effective in inhibiting spread of the disease to bone.

Vitamin D and cancer: Researchers say that vitamin D in high doses may have a beneficial effect in preventing breast cancer. High-dose vitamin D significantly reduced muscle and joint pain in breast cancer patients treated with the aromatase inhibitor like anastrozole. Weekly vitamin D supplementation led to significant improvement in pain and mobility after two months, said Antonella Rastelli, MD, of Washington University at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Breast cancer genetic evolution decoded: In the metastatic cancer, 32 protein-altering mutations were found that were not present in healthy tissue from the same woman, according to Samuel Aparicio, BM BCh, PhD, MRCPath, of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, and colleagues. Then, using the same approach, they looked back at cancer tissue taken from the same woman during treatment nine years earlier to see which variants were present then. Five variants, in the genes ABCB11, HAUS3, SLC24A4, SNX4, and PALB2 were common in the DNA of the primary tumor. They had previously been unknown to researchers. Another six in the genes KIF1C, USP28, MYH8, MORC1, KIAA1468, and RNASEH2A were found in between 1% and 13% of the primary tumor cells. There were 19 that were not detected and two were undetermined, the researchers said. This shows that genetic mutation takes place in the course of the disease.

Regular exercise reduces cancer risk: Regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise may reduce breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women, researchers found. Postmenopausal women who maintained more than seven hours per week of higher intensity activity over the 10-year period prior to entry into the study, were 16% less likely to develop breast cancer (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.93), according to Tricia M. Peters, M.Phil, and colleagues of the National Cancer Institute. It may be that some cancer genes are switched off in exercising population. The same effect has also been seen in case of colon cancer, published in a recent article.

Ginseng appears to help breast cancer patients: The traditional Chinese herb ginseng may improve survival and enhance the quality of life of breast cancer patients, an observational study suggested. Compared with those who never used ginseng, breast cancer patients in China who took it regularly before their diagnosis had a disease specific mortality that was 30% lower, three to four years later; said Xiao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues, of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, published online by the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Breast density and cancer risk: All post-menopausal women should be screened for breast cancer risk by assessing breast density combined with other risk factors, researchers say. They found that breast density was strongly associated with breast cancer. To reduce breast cancer risk overall, they advised, physicians should recommend exercise, weight reduction, a low-fat diet, and reduced alcohol intake. But they also noted that eating fruits and vegetables was not associated with a decreased risk. Still, the researchers concluded that breast density combined with other risk factors is a viable assessment of risk.

Breast feeding and cancer: Breast feeding can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study by Cancer Research UK. The increase in the disease in developed countries is due to women having fewer children and breast feeding for shorter periods of time, the study says.

Metformin under evaluation for cancer treatment: The glucose-lowering drug metformin, used as first line drug in obese type 2 diabetes is showing anticancer activity, reported by “The Lancet”. There has been possible association between obesity and different cancers. It may be possible in future to know more about action of metformin. The data come from the studies being conducted in both the diabetes and oncology research communities, according to experts who spoke at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

Soy safe for breast cancer survivors: Soy consumption appears to be safe, and potentially even protective, for women with breast cancer despite fears about estrogen-like effects, according to a population-based study by the researchers. Benefits of soy appeared to increase with intake up to 11 g of soy protein or 40 mgs. of soy isoflavone per day.

Lymphatic chemotherapy: Platinum based drugs used in chemotherapy have many side effects. Researchers have found out that lymphatic route of administration of these drugs may be less toxic than vascular route. When these and some other chemotherapeutic agents are administered subcutaneously gets better concentrated in the lymphatic tissue, which is the most common path of spread of cancerous cells to other organs from the primary.

hormone receptor status: The estrogen receptor(ER) status has much predictive value, and tissue expressing ER in patients of post menopausal status are more likely to be benefited from its inhibitor drugs like tamoxifen.

High precision Radiotherapy: Radiotherapy has become an integral part of multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer treatment. It has undergone tremendous modification to cause least possible damage to the surrounding tissue through delivery of high precision radiotherapy.

Surgery related changes: Surgery has changed from maximum tissue removal to minimal tissue removal and more conservative in approach i.e. from radical mastectomy to lumpectomy or quadrantectomy. Intra-operative frozen section biopsy to determine disease free margin in the tissue to be left with, has facilitated conservation of breast; so also, an intra-operative radiation detecting probe that detects radiation from the cancerous tissue, pre-injected with radio-active substances that accumulates specifically in the cancerous cells. Breast reconstruction has become very attractive option in the recent days adding confidence to the working cancer survivors.

Investigations: Fine needle aspiration cytology FNAC), ultrasound (USG), mammogram, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are some of the armors in the hands of health care personnel, to boost their ability for early diagnosis; and thereby providing effective treatment.

Carcinoma gene expression and prediction of breast cancer: Breast cancer (BRCA) suppressor gene is responsible for error free repair of Genetic material during cell division. Faulty BRCA may be responsible for breast cancer. According to estimates of lifetime risk, about 12.0 percent of women (120 out of 1,000) in the general population will develop breast cancer sometime during their lives compared with about 60 percent of women (600 out of 1,000) who have inherited a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. In other words, a woman who has inherited a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is about five times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who does not have such a mutation. Breast cancer patients may additionally be tested for carcinoma antigen (CA-125).

We hope to conquer this cancer in the near future, probably more through a genetic manipulation and life style change.

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Question by agape♥: Breast Cancer?
I’m 17 and a senior at highschool and a student at the School of Nursing and I’m a huge advocate for Breast Cancer research and support. I’m always wearing my pink ribbon and my pink ribbon necklace and I have many breast cancer/pink ribbon clothing articles. Since it’s breast cancer awareness month I tried to see what my community//county and surronding cities are doing to support………..and I found out…completely nothing. At the highschool football games I take donations and sell pink ribbons. I’m getting some pretty positive responses from this but I need more. Does anyone know where I can get free materials for breast cancer awareness other than just printing stuff off the internet?

Best answer:

Answer by KT G
google it

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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Supporting breast cancer research

Image by Idhren
In Finland the October the 3th is the day of supporting and spreading the knowledge about breast cancer research by dressing up in pink. It’s not official ofc, but it’s a fun way of spreading the news. This is the outift I plan to wear.

T-shirt and leather skirt – Lindex
Leggings and belt – Gina Tricot

www.heijastuspinta.fi

Are you worried about…breast cancer?

Many women worry about getting breast cancer| , sometimes because one of their relatives has developed the illness. This section explains:

Why having just one, or even two, relatives with cancer
does not normally mean that there is an inherited genetic link in your family.
What we know about the causes of breast cancer.
What you can do to help yourself.
Cancer genes/family history

Genes carry the biological information we inherit from our parents. They affect the way our bodies grow, work and look. Changes (mutations) in certain genes can increase the risk of breast cancer in family members who inherit the genetic change. But only a small number of breast cancers are thought to be due to an inherited altered gene running in the family.

Two gene changes – called BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations – can run in a family and increase the breast and ovarian| cancer risk of those family members who inherit the genetic change. But they are not common.

How does my family history affect my risk of developing breast cancer?

It is only likely that a genetic mutation that can increase your breast cancer risk is present in your family, if you have:

three close relatives from the same side of the family (your mother’s or your father’s family) who developed breast cancer at any age
two close relatives from the same side of the family who developed breast cancer under 60
one close relative who developed breast cancer at the age of 40 or under
breast and ovarian cancer on the same side of the family, or a male relative with breast cancer, or a close relative with cancer in both breasts.

Your close relatives are your mother, sisters or daughters. They are sometimes called your first degree relatives.

If your family is like this, and you are worried about developing breast cancer yourself, you might want to talk to your GP. They will ask you questions about your family history. If you have a family history of any unusual cancers/childhood cancers or you have Jewish ancestry or other ethnic background (where a faulty breast cancer gene is more common), you should mention that to your GP. If your GP thinks there’s a chance that you might have an increased risk of developing breast cancer because of your family history, they will refer you to a genetic counsellor, family cancer clinic or a cancer specialist.

All women, when they are 50, are invited to join the NHS Breast Screening Programme| and offered three yearly mammograms until they reach 70. Women who seem to have inherited an increased risk of getting breast cancer may be offered yearly mammograms, and sometimes MRI scans, from an earlier age.

If you only have one middle-aged or elderly relative who has developed breast cancer, or one case of breast cancer on each side of your family, this does not significantly increase your risk. If you had one of the ovarian or breast cancer genes in your family, then it is likely that more than one relative on the same side of the family would have developed ovarian or breast cancer.

If you are worried about the occurrence of breast and/or ovarian cancer in your family and whether there might be an inherited genetic link, OPERA| is an online interactive software program that will offer you personalised information and support in the comfort of your own home.

If you are still worried

It can be a normal reaction to severe illness in the family, or to bereavement, to feel more vulnerable to the same disease. If you can’t stop worrying, you may find it helpful to see a counsellor, who can help you get things back into perspective. You can ask your GP, or call our nurses| for details of a local service. You could also call the Cancer Counselling Trust| to speak to a counsellor.

Mind| , the mental health charity, has published a leaflet called ‘How to Stop Worrying’.

Cancer risk

The cause of most breast cancers is not known. But we do know that some things – called risk factors – can increase our chances of developing cancer. Some risk factors are very likely to cause cancer, whereas others will only very slightly increase our likelihood of getting it.

Having a particular risk factor for cancer, or being exposed to one, doesn’t mean that we will definitely get cancer, just as not having it doesn’t mean that we won’t. Smoking is a good example of this. If you smoke, it isn’t certain that you will get lung cancer , just as if you don’t smoke, it’s not certain that you won’t. But smoking will greatly increase your risk of getting lung cancer. Nine out of ten people who develop lung cancer are smokers.

Cancer is very common and nearly 1 in 3 of us will develop it at some time during our lives. This means that most of us will have relatives who have had cancer. Surveys have shown that many people are worried that a history of cancer in their family greatly increases their risk. People often worry that an increased risk of cancer can be inherited, or passed on from one generation to another. In fact less than 1 in 10 cases of cancer (between 5 and 10%) have been shown to be due to a family history of the disease.

Other risk factors

Other risk factors in the development of breast cancer can play a bigger role than family history.

Age

Breast cancer is mainly a disease of older women and is rare in women under 50. Only 1 in 9 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, but the older you are the more likely it is that you will develop the disease. In the UK more than half of breast cancers occur in women over 65. Women under 50 are at far lower risk of getting breast cancer than older women, and women under 40 have an even lower risk.

Hormone levels

There is some evidence that the more years a woman has had periods, and is therefore exposed to the female hormone, oestrogen, the more prone she is to breast cancer. This means that you may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer if you:

started your periods at an early age (under 12)
had a late menopause (after 50)
have not had any children, or had children after you were 30
have not breastfed or breastfed for less than 12 months in total.
The contraceptive pill

Taking the Pill slightly increases a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. The risk decreases again after stopping the Pill.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

There is evidence that women over 50 who take HRT increase their risk of developing breast cancer. The risk begins to increase after 1–2 years of HRT use, and then goes on increasing the longer HRT is used. Combined HRT increases risk more than oestrogen-only HRT. Risk begins to decrease when HRT is stopped and is thought to be back to normal around five years after stopping.

Obesity

Being overweight, particularly after the menopause, is a risk factor for breast cancer. This seems to be because overweight people have different hormone levels compared to people who are of normal weight.

Lack of exercise

There is evidence that regular exercise reduces women’s breast cancer risk. This might be because physical activity regulates women’s hormone levels.

Alcohol

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol seems to increase women’s breast cancer risk. The European Code Against Cancer recommends that to reduce their risk of developing cancer women should drink no more than one unit of alcohol per day. A unit is half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider or one small glass (125ml) of wine or a single measure (25ml) of spirits.

Other possible risk factors

It has been suggested that particular diets, some dietary supplements and deodorants can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. However, there is no good evidence to support these claims. Scientists are studying many different possible factors, but so far the risk factors listed in this leaflet are the only ones where there is good evidence.

Reducing your risk

Although many of the known breast cancer risks are beyond our control there are other risk factors, known as lifestyle risk factors that you can control. It has been estimated that about one half (50%) of all cancers diagnosed in the UK could be avoided if people made changes to their lifestyles. These changes don’t mean that you definitely won’t get cancer – but they make it less likely. So here are some things that you might want to consider:

Take up some regular exercise

You don’t need to go to the gym – walking, cycling or gardening, done regularly, can be enough.

Try to maintain a healthy weight

Eating a balanced diet| , which contains plenty of fruit and vegetables, can help. Your GP can give you more advice.

Avoid smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

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Although making these changes may reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, they do not guarantee that you won’t get cancer. But all of the above strategies will improve your health generally.

Signs and symptoms

Breast cancer, when it is found early, can be treated successfully. Unfortunately, the early signs of breast cancer can be hard to detect and are often unclear. You should see your GP if you have:

a change to the outline or shape of the breast
lumps or bumpy areas
nipple discharge that is new for you and not milky
feelings of discomfort or pain in one breast that are different from normal (many women say that their breasts are more tender or a bit lumpy just before they have their period).

In most cases, changes to your breast do not mean that you have cancer. But it is worth seeing your doctor. There is no reason for you to feel that you are wasting your doctor’s time if you have discovered a change in your breasts.

Regular checks and screening for breast cancer

Women over 50 years are invited to join the national screening programme and have a mammogram (x-ray of the breasts) once every three years until they reach 70. Women of 70 and over can continue to have regular mammograms by contacting their GP, who will arrange an appointment in a breast screening clinic. From 2010 all women aged between 47 and 73 will be called for regular breast screening.

Mammography can help to detect breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat.

We have further information on breast screening.

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Breast cancer is traditionally thought of as an exclusively female-related disease. But like breast cancer in women, breast cancer in men is the uncontrolled growth of the cells of the breast tissue.

Breast cancer in men can be just as dangerous as breast cancer in women. More than 1,700 men are diagnosed with male breast cancer each year. But because men often wait to report the symptoms of male breast cancer, the disease is more likely to have spread, leaving many men with less hope that treatment will lead to recovery.

Breast cancer in men accounts for approximately one percent of cases of breast cancer and about 0.2 percent of all malignancies in men, according to The National Cancer Institute. In women, breast cancer represents 26 percent of all cancers. However, all of the types of breast cancer seen in women can also occur in men, although some are quite rare.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that breast cancer in men results in approximately 480 deaths in men compared to more than 40,000 women who die of breast cancer each year.

The survival rate for men is lower than for women. Men have very little breast tissue and do not typically receive mammograms.

Also, men are not taught to do regular breast self-examination. No one knows the exact cause of breast cancer, but risk factors include age, family history of breast cancer, changes in the appearance of the breast and race. Breast cancer is diagnosed more often in White women than Latina, Asian and African American women.

Since breast cancer is 100 times more common among women, the general public does not hear much about breast cancer in men. Many people are unaware that men can develop breast cancer, and neither individual men themselves nor their physicians regularly examine men’s breasts.

Furthermore, when men discover signs of breast cancer, they tend to delay before seeing a physician. This is the main reason why medical researchers have a hard time studying breast cancer in men and the effect it has on the male population. Men do not believe they are susceptible to the disease.

For instance, actor Richard Roundtree, the man who personified masculinity in the iconoclastic blaxploitaion film Shaft, discovered a lump in his right breast in the 1970s. It was cancer.

“When I got the news, I was shocked,” said Roundtree, who has worked with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation which raises breast cancer awareness among women and men, as well as funds for research. “I thought I couldn’t possibly have breast cancer. Men dont get this, Roundtree once said in a USA Today interview. The actor was fortunate to catch his cancer early and received chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and a mastectomy.

Another celebrity to have had male breast cancer is Peter Criss, a founding member of the rock band KISS, who calls himself the luckiest man in the planet. Criss said getting medical treatment early at the first sign of trouble saved his life.

While some men feel embarrassed because of this macho crap, Criss said surviving breast cancer was actually a blessing. He was treated before the tumor could spread and said he speaks out about breast cancer in men during National Breast Cancer Awareness month every October to raise the profile of this rare disease.

Criss, who played drums for KISS and was known as “Catman,” offered this advice to men who spot lumps in their breast: Don’t sit around playing Mr. Tough Guy. Don’t say ‘It’s going to go away.’ It might not and you might not see life anymore and how beautiful that is.”

Most cases of breast cancer in men are detected in men between the ages of 60 and 70, although the condition can develop in men of any age. A man’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about one-tenth of one percent, or one in 1,000.

However, men with breast cancer show the same racial disparities in survival as do women with the disease, according to a study conducted at Columbia University. Medicare-age African American men with breast cancer were three times more likely to die from the disease than White men. These findings parallel those of previous studies among women, which have shown higher breast cancer mortality rates for African American women at all ages, according to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes between African American and White women have been reduced to access to health care, and other socioeconomic factors. Similar factors may contribute to the poor outcomes observed among African American men with breast cancer.

Among the findings related to African American men, the researchers reported that they were more likely to have later-stage disease and larger tumors than White men; African American men were 48 percent less likely to be referred to a medical oncologist and 56 percent less likely to receive chemotherapy than White men, though neither difference was significant. Five-year survival was about 90 percent among White patients but 66 percent among African American patients.

On the basis of the findings, the researchers concluded that part of the racial disparity in survival may be due to differences in treatment. Under treatment may account for the racial disparity in breast cancer survival among men.

Medical researchers have said further studies will be needed to explain clinical and biological factors contributing to racial disparities in male breast cancer. Because breast cancer in men is rare at less than one percent of cancers in men, obtaining large sample sizes has been a challenge. Most previous studies have been small, single center, retrospective series.

Early signs, however, indicate that the disease is more manageable and has higher successful treatable rates than when found in women. In many ways, the disease appears similarly in both sexes.

Symptoms of breast cancer

A painless lump, usually discovered by the patient himself, is by far the most common first symptom of breast cancer in men. Typically, the lump appears right beneath the breast, where breast tissue is concentrated.

A lump, however, is seldom the only symptom. Men are more likely than women to have nipple discharge (sometimes bloody) and signs of local spreading, including nipple retraction, fixation to the skin or the underlying tissues, and skin ulceration.

To improve the prognosis of breast cancer in men, broader efforts are needed to let men know that the disease exists and that, like other cancers, it can be cured or controlled if it is diagnosed and treated promptly.

Risk factors attributed to breast cancer.

- Age

The incidence of breast cancer in men, like in women, increases with age. The average age of men at diagnosis is close to 65, about five years older than the average age for women.

- Ethnicity

Breast cancer affects 14 African American men and eight White men in every million. Some studies also suggest that the prevalence is higher among Jewish males.

- Geography

In Egypt, breast cancer in men represents six percent of all breast cancers, and in Zambia, it accounts for 15 percent. It has been suggested that one contributing factor might be an excess of estrogen produced by parasites. Others have proposed a link with liver disease caused by malnutrition.

- Socioeconomic Status

A recent study comparing male breast cancer patients from five metropolitan areas with men of comparable backgrounds who did not have breast cancer, found that the breast cancer patients were more likely to be college graduates and employed as professionals or managers.

- Heredity

Several researchers have reported two or more cases of breast cancer in men within a single family. Several of these reports have involved two brothers; one involved three brothers; and another described breast cancer in a man, his father and his uncle.

- Hormones

Abnormal hormonal activity, a factor that has been linked to the development of female breast cancer, could play a role in the development of male breast cancer as well. Several disorders with a hormonal component have been associated with an increased risk of male breast cancer, and numerous studies suggest that men with breast cancer display abnormal patterns of hormone metabolism and excretion.

- Treatment

The treatment for male breast cancer is generally similar to the treatment of female breast cancer. The basic therapy for cancer that shows no signs of distant spreading is surgery. In advanced stages, it is hormonal and chemotherapy. The small number of men who develop breast cancer makes it unlikely that large prospective trials can ever be undertaken to compare various therapies. It is possible, nonetheless, that institutions that see more than the usual number of cases could collaborate in developing a fund of reliable information. In the meantime, it is important that individual physicians and surgeons keep careful records to document the cases of the several hundred men who develop breast cancer each year in the U.S.

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