Male Breast Cancer Symptoms and Treatment | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

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07/07/23

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 2,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. If caught early, this disease is curable, so it's important to recognize the symptoms of male breast cancer. Michael, a breast cancer patient, shares his experiences, and Dr. Beth Overmoyer of Dana-Farber talks about the stigma associated with male breast cancer.

Learn more about male breast cancer and Dana-Farber's approach to treatment: http://www.dana-farber.org/Adu....lt-Care/Treatment-an

Transcription:

Dore:Fifty-six year-old Michael Johnston usually spends most of his time on the golf course, but not this year.

Johnston:This is the first time I’ve swung a club this year. So, watch this one, right up into the trees.

Dore:Michael’s time and energy is now spent fighting cancer, and it’s a type of the disease most of us associate with women. Michael has breast cancer.

Johnston:I was a hospital corpsman in the Navy for six years. I knew these things could happen. Did I really expect it to happen to me? No.

Dore:Dr. Beth Overmoyer is Michael’s doctor. She’s a breast cancer expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She says for many men, a diagnosis of breast cancer can be embarrassing.

Overmoyer:Suddenly, a man is faced with not only having cancer, but having cancer where the predominant representative color is pink. So we need to really overcome that, because male breast cancer is treated very effectively and it is the same cancer as that in a woman.

Dore:And, like women, Dr. Overmoyer says it’s important for men to know the warning signs. The most common symptoms of male breast cancer include a lump or swelling of the breast, skin dimpling or puckering, nipple discharge or retraction, and scaling or redness around the chest.
Undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy to treat the cancer has meant a tough couple of months for Michael and his family. But, he caught his cancer early and wants warn other men: They need to check for breast cancer, too.

Johnston:The people I work with, a lot of them are doing self-exams right away. They never knew they had to do that. They said that they were examining other parts of their body, and said now we’ve got to add this to the list.

Dore:Michael says helping others helps him feel good, and staying healthy helps at home.

Johnston:I do have a good attitude, and I’ve assured my wife that I’m not going anywhere, so I have to stick to my word, now, on this one.

Dore:At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, I’m Ann Dore, reporting.