The fact that breast cancer in men has often spread locally before it is diagnosed –even though the small male breast should facilitate early diagnosis-has been attributed to several factors. Lacking the bulk of the typical female breast, even a small carcinoma in a male lies close to the skin above it and the tissues of the chest wall beneath it. Consequently, the cancer can more readily invade these nearby structures. |
However, many people are unaware that men can develop breast cancer, and neither individual men themselves nor their physicians regularly examine men’s breasts. Furthermore, when men discover signs of breast cancer they tend to delay before seeing a physician. Men waited 18 months, on the average, before seeking medical advice. Such a delay may in part occur because some men perceive breast cancer as a flaw in their masculinity and are reluctant to acknowledge its presence |
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