2020 PPP magazine

2020 Paint the Paper Pink Lincoln Daily News October 2020 Page 23 What Are the Symptoms? The most common symptoms of breast cancer in men are— A lump or swelling in the breast. Redness or flaky skin in the breast. Irritation or dimpling of breast skin. Nipple discharge. Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area. These symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer. If you have any symptoms that worry you, see your doctor right away. What Are the Risk Factors? Several factors can increase a man’s chance of getting breast cancer. Having risk factors does not mean you will get breast cancer. Getting older. The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Most breast cancers are found after age 50. Genetic mutations. Inherited changes (mutations) in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, increase breast cancer risk. Family history of breast cancer. A man’s risk for breast cancer is higher if a close family member has had breast cancer. Radiation therapy treatment. Men who had radiation therapy to the chest have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Hormone therapy treatment. Drugs containing estrogen (a hormone that helps develop and maintain female sex characteristics), which were used to treat prostate cancer in the past, increase men’s breast cancer risk. Klinefelter syndrome. Klinefelter syndromeexternal icon is a rare genetic condition in which a male has an extra X chromosome. This can lead to the body making higher levels of estrogen and lower levels of androgens (hormones that help develop and maintain male sex characteristics). Conditions that affect the testicles. Injury to, swelling in, or surgery to remove the testicles can increase breast cancer risk. CONTINUE