"Are you sure?" Ningbo man diagnosed with breast cancer! This disease is not exclusive to women...

Do you think breast cancer is a disease only for women? This is not the case!

Recently, 76-year-old Master Shao was diagnosed with breast cancer at Ningbo Yinzhou Second Hospital. He looked incredulous: "Doctor, are you sure? How can men get breast cancer?" After receiving the doctor's affirmative answer, Master Shao regretted and slapped his thigh. It turned out that about two or three years ago, he had found a soybean-sized lump above his left nipple, which was painless and itchy, and he had no other feelings. "At that time, I thought that only women would get this disease, so I didn't take it seriously, and I was embarrassed to tell relatives and friends." Master Shao said angrily. He originally thought that the lump might subside after a while, so he didn't go to the hospital for a check-up until recently when the lump became significantly larger, as big as a red date, and felt hard. Then he thought about his wife who had breast cancer more than 20 years ago, and the symptoms were somewhat similar. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, so he went to the hospital for a check-up.

The chief physician of the Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Xie Kaigang, found that the lump in Master Shao's breast was about 3×3 cm. According to the results of the breast ultrasound examination, it was highly suspected to be a malignant tumor. Master Shao was immediately admitted to the hospital, and the doctor arranged a biopsy of the breast lump for him, and the result was confirmed to be " invasive breast cancer ."

"If I had known this would happen, I should have gone to the hospital a few years ago!" Master Shao regretted it. Fortunately, the tumor is still in its early stages. Subsequently, Chief Physician Xie Kaigang's team successfully performed a "modified radical mastectomy" on Master Shao, completely removing the breast tumor and clearing the axillary lymph nodes.

Xie Kaigang said that male breast cancer is a rare malignant tumor, accounting for about 1% of breast cancer . Compared with female breast cancer, male breast cancer is often found at a later stage, with a larger tumor size and often accompanied by axillary lymph node metastasis. This is mainly because of the misconception that "breast cancer is exclusive to women", which easily makes male compatriots relax their vigilance and not pay attention to their breast health problems, thus missing the best time for treatment.

"Male breast cancer patients are often older, which may be related to the lower androgen levels and relatively higher estrogen levels in older men." Tong Zhenjun, director of the hospital's Breast Surgery Department and member of the Ningbo Medical Association's Breast Disease Branch, said that breast cancer screening for women has gradually become popular in recent years, but men have not been included in the screening due to their low incidence rate, so they should pay more attention to self-examination.

"When you feel a painless lump with unclear boundaries, hard texture, and poor mobility around the areola, or when you experience discomfort symptoms such as nipple retraction, local breast skin depression, and nipple bleeding, you should be alert to whether you have breast cancer." Tong Zhenjun reminds men that once the above symptoms occur, do not be ashamed to seek medical treatment and go to the hospital as soon as possible to complete relevant examinations. The treatment plan for female breast cancer is also applicable to male breast cancer. Early detection and early treatment often lead to a better prognosis.