Going Flat or Spoilt fo choice : Breast cancer surgery in 2020

MALE BREAST CANCER : THE ADAMS IN TROUBLE

MALE BREAST CANCER : THE ADAMS IN TROUBLE !

Even in the wildest of dreams did he dare to dream that one day he would develop the deadly disease that his mother is suffering from. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in the earlier part of his life. She had even completed treatment and did well for quite a long time till it struck her once again recently. She was presently under treatment and having been a witness to her suffering he definitely was disillusioned with life.But all hell broke loose when his biopsy report turned out to be cancerous.

Breast cancer can occur in men.Yes. Of course you heard it right. Breast cancer can occur in men even though it is very rare. Men do have some amount of breast tissue that makes them prone to cancer.The lifetime risk of a man developing breast cancer is 1 in 1000 whereas for women it is as high as 1 in 8 in the western population.

Risk factors for male breast cancer.

Since breast cancer in men is very rare ,they usually are missed early and present later in advanced stage.
A number of factors may increase the risk for breast cancer in men including :
1. Hormonal treatment for various other reasons.
2. Klinefelter syndrome.
3. Liver Disease/ Cirrhosis. 
4. Alcoholism

5. Radiation exposure in childhood.

“Practically all breast cancers in men are hereditary”

Breast cancer can run in families.For men from such families the risk is hundredfold. So Practically all breast cancers in men are deemed hereditary. BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 are the most common genes associated with higher association with BRCA 2 gene.
Signs and symptoms :

1. Any lump in the breast
2. Any discharge from the nipple
3. Any puckering or redness of the skin over the breast
4. Changes in the nipple : pulling inwards / ulceration

Breast cancer in men are curable when diagnosed early.The treatment includes surgery , chemotherapy, radiation, hormonal and targeted therapy similar to the treatment in women.

#1 Mona Lisa is beautiful with cancer. So are you, and so am I.

 #1 Mona Lisa is beautiful with cancer. So are you, and so am I.

I incidentally came across this picture and there was a lot of discussion over it on a breast cancer online forum. And what one of the partcipants posted got etched in my memory Mona Lisa is beautiful with cancer. So are you, and so am I.

It reflected the infinite positivity of the soul and the invincible spirit. And true tumors change life but not its value. It also highlighted that the fact that the “cancerians” as I prefer to call them instead of survivors emerge just like the phoenix rising above the crowd with the eternal identity. But how many of them are able to rediscover their purpose of life?

1. Wake up and please get your priorities right!

The vast majority of the crowd in India are still veiled . Cancer is still a stigma in the society. I have come across neighbours who wouldn’t get treated at a cancer centre just because people would get to know of the disease from the name of the hospital. They would prefer to get treated in a non oncological setup and risk their outcome rather than face the societal prejudice. All priorities mixed and the cancer is jinxed.

2. Ignorance is injustice to the patient!

Many a times we as cancer specialists have come across a situation wherein the accompanying family members of the patient request you to not to reveal the diagnosis of cancer to the patient. What they do not realise however is that an informed consent from the patient in a language he or she understands is compulsory. So Ignorance is gross injustice to the patient. What is more prudent would be to have the patient go through a series of counselling sessions before they can be appraised of the situation.

3.  Always  Seek  opinion from medical fraternity !

There are numerous myths associated with cancer. One of the most common is that after a biopsy the cancer spreads fast and furious. Despite no scientific basis this is one of the many reasons people try to avoid a biopsy and find solace in the ignorant bliss of hearsay or resort to alternative therapies. Often we do have to desperately argue out the definitive need of a biopsy.

4.  Tumors do change Life. But not its value !

Cancer comes as a thunderbolt out of a clear sky and no more is life the same. But it does not devalue life. In fact it makes it more invaluable. So irrespective of the outcome please choose wisely before you decide not to take treatment. Even after adequate medical opinion if proper treatment is not instituted because one is wary of the results then is life a tragedy. Because when amenable to best results people are wary and when they are ready we have little options left.