Recently the Sunday Evening Post published Life Over Cancer follower David Sumner's personal breast cancer story. In it, Sumner points out a key hole in October's Breast Cancer Awareness efforts: most people are still unaware that men can, and do, get breast cancer.
Among the risk factors for men:
Age: As is the case for women, a man’s chances of being diagnosed with breast cancer increase with age. On average, men are 68 years old when they’re diagnosed with breast cancer.
Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase a man’s risk of breast cancer.
Family history: A man’s risk of breast cancer increases if other family members have had breast cancer. About 1 in 5 men with breast cancer have close female or male relatives with the disease. .
Inherited gene mutations: A defect in the BRCA2 gene increase a man’s risk of breast cancer by about 6%. A defect in BRCA1 can also increase the risk of a breast cancer diagnosis, though it’s not as high as it is for the BRCA 2 gene.
Radiation exposure: Radiation treatment (i.e., for a cancer in the chest) can increase a man’s chances of breast cancer.
Alcohol: Excess alcohol consumption can increase risk (possibly due to its effects on the liver).
Liver disease: The liver produces binding proteins that carry hormones in the blood and plays an important role in sex hormone metabolism. Men with liver disease have a higher rate of benign breast growths and are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
It’s important to mention: Men shouldn’t ignore a lump in their breast because they assume “men don’t get breast cancer.” A lump should be checked out by a doctor.
For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, call (847) 230-9107 or visit BlockMD.com.
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