All men have breasts. The male breast tissue is not functional as in a woman, but because all men have breast tissue, they are also at risk (although minimal) for breast cancer. Many men believe it can’t happen to them and when it does, they are less likely to report the symptoms.
The shock of a breast cancer diagnosis in men may be followed by the social stigma associated with it as a female condition, resulting in additional intrapersonal distress.
Breast Cancer in Men: A Need for Psychological Intervention
Although breast cancer is a rare condition in males, research has identified seven major issues regarding the psychological and social impacts. These were associated with delay in diagnosis, shock, stigma, body image, causal factors, the provision of information and emotional support.
The survival rate for men is similar to women with the same cancer stage at the time of diagnosis. However, men are usually diagnosed at a later stage because they are less likely to report symptoms. Men often ignore the early signs such as a lump near the nipple or changes in the skin. Ignoring these symptoms may lead to the higher mortality rate in men.
There are approximately 2000 new cases and approximately 450 deaths due to male breast cancer each year.
Male breast cancer diagnoses are 1% of all cases of breast cancer, women being 99% resulting in the awareness ‘pink ribbon’ symbol.
Breast cancer survivor, Keith Williamson told Ed Kemp (American Staff Writer) the pink ribbon does not help spread awareness that men can also suffer from the cancer generally associated with women. Williamson suggests “little sliver of blue” within the pink ribbon as a reminder that men can be diagnosed with breast cancer.
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