Male Breast Cancer
Reading this article
Topic pages summarize public health information in plain language. They may describe common causes and treatments in general terms; your own plan of care depends on your clinician’s exam, history, and tests. Use what you read here to prepare questions—not to start, stop, or change medications or to self-diagnose.
Although breast cancer is much more common in women, men can get it too. It happens most often to men between the ages of 60 and 70.
Breast lumps usually aren't cancer. However, most men with breast cancer have lumps. Other breast symptoms can include:
- Dimpled or puckered skin
- A red, scaly nipple or skin
- Fluid discharge
Risk factors for male breast cancer include exposure to radiation, a family history of breast cancer, and having high estrogen levels, which can happen with diseases like cirrhosis or Klinefelter syndrome.
Treatment for male breast cancer is usually a mastectomy, which is surgery to remove the breast. Other treatments include radiation, chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy.
NIH: National Cancer Institute