Breast Cancer In Men: Causes And Symptoms

Breast cancer rarely occurs in men, accounting for only around 1 percent of all breast cancer cases. But it’s not one to be completely ignored—there are signs and symptoms that one should heed, and causes and predispositions to identify.

Image source: BreastCancerNow.org  

Men do have a small amount of breast tissue, similar to the breasts of girls prior to puberty. This tissue doesn’t develop and grow in men, but due to its nature it can still develop breast cancer. It’s rare for men under 35 years old to get breast cancer, as the risk goes up with age and most cases occur between ages 60 and 70.

Breast cancer risk in males is aggravated by different factors, such as elevated estrogen levels, prior exposure to radiation, and a family history of the illness. Mutations in certain genes, such as BRCA2 mutations, are also linked with an increased risk for male breast cancer. BRCA1 mutations, however, are thought to play a smaller role in male cases than in female cases.

The symptoms in men are similar to those in women, with most cases diagnosed upon the discovery of a lump on the chest. Unlike women, though, men tend to delay doctor’s consultation until more severe symptoms such as nipple bleeding occur.

It’s important to differentiate between breast cancer and benign breast conditions, such as gynecomastia or an increase in the amount of male breast tissue. Benign breast tumors are also abnormal lumps or masses of tissue that aren’t cancerous in nature.

Image source: DoctorsTime.com

Matias Campiani was a founding partner in several companies and presently is Co-Founder and CEO of Welzwaze Medical, which focuses on the development of AI-based diagnostic and health monitoring solutions, with an emphasis on early breast cancer detection. Learn more about health technologies on this page.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Joining The Fight Against Cancer

Artificial intelligence is speeding up the search for a cancer cure. For the past few years, AI has already delivered advancements and breakthroughs in the healthcare industry with regard to diagnosis and treatments, yet even those who advocate for its full use believe a cure is still a decade away.

Image source: Pravda-team.ru

The path toward a cancer-free world is built on small steps and will be iterative. Just as how previous innovations has led researchers to develop present cutting-edge technologies, AI-assisted cancer cure may take a little more time to materialize. While AI is currently fulfilling breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis, its technology will have to undergo manifold iterations to solve an overabundance of smaller problems before undertaking the final challenge.

AI possesses the huge potential of helping scientists manage the puzzling difficulties of research and other data to accelerate the discovery of a cancer drug and render scientific findings into real benefits for patients. With the ability to search through billions of experimental results, AI can identify patterns and make functional predictions regarding diagnoses, end results, and responses to treatments.

Image source: news.stanford.edu

Scientists are priming AI systems to determine early evidence of cancer in patients. This technology can be considered as seeds, but scientists, researchers, and physicians believe that it can go as far as assisting humans in finding a cure for the disease that kills millions every year. AI is a powerful weapon in mankind’s battle against cancer and other diseases, requiring the participation of providers and users in its iterative process.

Matias Campiani is the co-founder and CEO of Welwaze Medical, Inc., a health tech company that focuses on AI-based diagnostic and health monitoring solutions. Subscribe to this blog for similar updates.