My Breakthrough
Treatment
The treatment choices for male breast cancer will depend on the stage of the disease when it is first diagnosed, but is likely to include a mastectomy.
A lumpectomy is rarely performed in men because of the small amount of breast tissue means that a lumpectomy is not usually possible.
A mastectomy is likely; for a modified radical mastectomy the nipple, areola, entire breast tissue and nearby lymph nodes are removed. A mastectomy will change the shape of a man’s chest. The difference seen between the breasts after the operation will depend on the amount of glandular and fatty tissue a man has.
For more advanced disease, the pectoral muscle underneath the breast may also have to be removed. This is known as a radical mastectomy. Removing this muscle can lead to decreased function in the arm and a noticeable hollow below the collarbone.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are also possible treatments, depending on the specific stage of the cancer. As most male breast cancers are hormone sensitive, hormone treatment such as tamoxifen may be prescribed alongside surgery and/or radiotherapy. Occasionally, another type of hormone treatment, aromatase inhibitors, may be used.
More information about treatments can be found in the treatment section of this website.
A mastectomy is likely; for a modified radical mastectomy the nipple, areola, entire breast tissue and nearby lymph nodes are removed. A mastectomy will change the shape of a man’s chest. The difference seen between the breasts after the operation will depend on the amount of glandular and fatty tissue a man has.
For more advanced disease, the pectoral muscle underneath the breast may also have to be removed. This is known as a radical mastectomy. Removing this muscle can lead to decreased function in the arm and a noticeable hollow below the collarbone.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are also possible treatments, depending on the specific stage of the cancer. As most male breast cancers are hormone sensitive, hormone treatment such as tamoxifen may be prescribed alongside surgery and/or radiotherapy. Occasionally, another type of hormone treatment, aromatase inhibitors, may be used.
More information about treatments can be found in the treatment section of this website.
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