Breast Cancer Care operates a freephone advice service for men and women employing specialist counsellors. A small number of male breast cancers may be linked to genetic inheritance. Smoking, alcohol, obesity and exposure to electromagnetic energy fields have also been suggested, without confirmation. Up to 95 percent of male breast cancers are first seen by doctors at a stage where they are firm lumps. Other signs can include localised tenderness, discharge, skin ulceration and nipple retraction or inversion.
Treatment is almost identical for men and women.
The main procedure is surgery with a mastectomy and, if necessary, removal of the lymph gland. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy may also be offered, and psychological counselling is available too. For those who catch the disease at an early stage the outlook is good. The greatest danger for men is that they don't realise it could happen to them. If men don't realise that they could get breast cancer they will ignore the symtoms.