top of page
SBC Logo 200 px x 200 px.png
Accessibility Tools

Upcoming
events

10 Myths & Facts About Male Breast Cancer

Writer's picture: Surviving Breast CancerSurviving Breast Cancer

By Rod Ritchie


Although men have breast tissue, not many people understand that they can get breast cancer too. Any man diagnosed with this disease will tell you the blank looks they get trying to explain a diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. So, what are the myths and facts about male breast cancer? Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones I have encountered throughout my experience with male breast cancer.


Myth 1: Breast cancer affects only women. Fact: Breast cancer occurs mainly in women, but men can get it, too — this disease is genderless. The American Cancer Society estimates in the US in 2020 about 2,620 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed and approximately 520 men will die from breast cancer. (1)

Myth 2: Affected men must have a genetic predisposition to get breast cancer. Fact: No, this is only true in around 6% of BRCA2 cases. (2) In these cases, as with women, BRCA1 and BRCA2, and mutations in CHEK2, PTEN, and PALB2 genes might be responsible for some breast cancers in men. Although certain risk factors may increase a man’s chances of developing breast cancer, in many cases the cause of most male breast cancers is unknown. (3) If there is a strong family history of breast cancer (in men or women), ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and/or prostate cancer genetic testing might be recommended to determine risk. (4)

Myth 3: Male and female breast cancers are the same. Fact: False. Men carry a higher mortality than women do, primarily because awareness among men is less and they are less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer, which may cause a delay in diagnosis and treatment. (5)


Myth 4: Because the disease is so rare, a man with breast cancer has no risk of developing breast cancer again. Fact: False. Men with a history of breast cancer may be at risk to develop breast cancer again and need continued monitoring with a physical exam in order to manage their breast cancer. (6)

Myth 5: Treatment is the same for male breast cancer and has been well studied. Fact: Several approaches to blocking the effects of estrogen or lowering estrogen levels are used to treat breast cancer in women. Although many of these may work in men as well, they often haven’t been studied well, if at all. To date, tamoxifen is the best-studied hormone drug for breast cancer in men and is most often used first. (7)

Myth 6: First-degree male relatives of men diagnosed with breast cancer don’t need to be aware of their risks. Fact: False. Since DNA is inherited, both male and female family members must be made aware of their risks as having one of these inherited gene changes might affect their chances of getting breast and other certain cancers. (8)

Myth 7: An annual public screening program for all men would be a good idea. Fact: F