Healthy Living Examines Men And Breast Cancer

Tonight on Healthy Living, we continue with the breast cancer awareness as a part of breast cancer awareness month. Except….the next segment is geared towards men. Yes! Men can get breast cancer too! It’s a small number of cases; but, there’s some very important information that all men need to know.

Dr. Fernando Cuellar, Internist, BMA

“The automatic things is to associate it women, breast cancer – women. But many people don’t know realize or accept that there is breast cancer in males.”

Marleni Cuellar, Reporting

There is no doubt that far more women are diagnosed with breast cancer than men. As much as ninety-nine percent of those diagnosed are women; but it still does not exclude the fact that men – even right here in Belize – do get diagnosed with breast cancer.

Fernando Cuellar

Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“I had a client earlier this year who passed away from breast cancer – a well known person. And at least one or two men a year we have diagnosed with breast cancer and it seems to follow the universal pattern which is that less than one percent of breast cancer happen in men. What we see is that older men, in their fifties and sixties as opposed to women who would see it earlier in their thirties and forties. It’s not impossible but in younger men it’s a little bit more rare.”

Men are encouraged to know the signs of breast cancer. The self breast exam which involves feeling for lumps and changes in the area is recommended for women and men.

Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“Men you examine your chest. You wouldn’t want tell ah man examine your breast cause you might get some stares but examine your chest, examine your nipples and I’m sure that there are men who wouldn’t consider that area a breast. So examine your chest, your nipples, if there are no lumps, no changes, no changes in the color, if there is any discharge, any secretions coming from the nipple. That is something to get checked out; or if there is any pain – whatever discomfort.”

Now, statistically speaking, men are notoriously behind when it comes to getting checkups and taking care of their health. This coupled with the lack of knowledge regarding their susceptibility to breast cancer means that they tend to get diagnosed later which can have fatal consequences.

Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“That is the simple reason that men tend to pick up this situation later. Not that they have a more aggressive form or type of breast cancer. You have pretty much the same type of cancer in male and female but men tend to pick it up less or pay attention to it. So by the time it is diagnosed it’s already late. It’s already spread to other places. So they tend to die from breast cancer sooner or faster than females. Man check yo chest! As opposed to man no check your breast.”

You can contact the Belize Cancer Society if you’d like more info on male breast cancer.