Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK.
Anyone with breast or chest tissue can develop breast cancer but it is much less common in men. It is also less common in trans women, people who have had both breasts removed (double mastectomy) and in people who have taken some hormone therapies.
It is important to check your chest or breasts regularly for any changes and to get any changes checked by a GP.
Symptoms of breast cancer in men include:
- Lump in the breast or chest tissue – this is usually hard, painless and does not move around
- Nipple turning inwards
- Fluid oozing from the nipple (nipple discharge) – this may be streaked with blood
- Sore or rash around the nipple that does not go away
- Nipple or skin around the nipple becoming hard, red or swollen
- Small bumps in the armpit (swollen glands)
Breast pain or pain in chest tissue is not usually a symptom of breast cancer.
It is important to see a health professional if you have symptoms or notice any changes in your breasts or chest tissue.
See a GP if you have:
- A lump in your breast or chest tissue
- Any symptoms you are worried about such as nipple discharge
- A history of breast cancer in your family and you are worried about your chances of getting it
Breast cancer in men is treated in the same ways as breast cancer in anyone else. The cancer cells respond to the same types of treatments.
Sometimes people assume that breast cancer in men is never hormone-related. This is incorrect. Some male breast cancers are related to hormones. If so, hormone therapies might be used to treat your cancer.
Find out more about breast cancer treatment at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Support available
Men with breast cancer sometimes tell us they feel like they are the only one – they don’t know other men in the same situation.
Although breast cancer in men is rare, you are not alone. Your clinical team understands and is there to support you every step of the way. They can also help you find other forms of support including support groups for men with cancer.
Genomics and cancer
Genomics is the study of a person’s genes (or ‘genome’) – the material in DNA that makes each person unique. Cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of a cell and tell it to multiply out of control.
Understanding where this change has occurred – for example, which gene is faulty – can help us know which treatment will give you the best chance of killing the cancer cells and stopping new ones from growing.
Breast cancer in men is more likely to be related to rare genetic changes. If you are a man with breast cancer, it is more likely we will offer you genetic testing as part of your cancer care.
Your clinical team will explain this to you in more detail at your appointment.
Our Cancer Information and Support Centres can provide individualised help and support for patients and families affected by cancer. The team’s main base is in Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool but they also work at our Aintree and Wirral hospitals.
There are also local Macmillan services in other hospitals across our region.
External sites that offer extra support and information for men with breast cancer include:
Information and support for men with breast cancer (Breast Cancer Now)
Breast cancer in men (Macmillan)
Male breast cancer (Cancer Research UK)
General breast cancer: