Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S. — but men might not be aware they are also at risk.
Although fewer than one percent of breast cancers in the U.S. occur in men, about 2,670 men are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer – the most common type – this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Stigma surrounding male breast cancer has long been tied to delayed diagnosis and researchers have been pushing for more men to be included in clinical trials.
Former X-Men actor Tyler Mane, 59, announced his diagnosis with a “super rare” form of the disease on Monday.
“I’ll be honest, my first reaction was to keep it secret,”the former pro wrestler wrote in a caption on a video he shared to his social media accounts. “I mean it’s kind of embarrassing. But then I found out that men are more likely to be diagnosed in advance stages BECAUSE it’s not talked about and not looked for.”
Mane said people should start talking about it because it’s “VERY treatable” if caught early.
Treating male breast cancer is the same as treating cases in women. For example, men can also get surgeries to remove their breasts affected by cancer, known as mastectomies.
Men are treated with mastectomies 86 percent of the time, according to a 2021 review of past research.
Like in women, breast cancer can occur at any age, although the risk increases as they age.
The average age at the time of diagnosis is between 60-70 years, the society notes.
The average lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 755, but it may vary case to case.
Still, rates of male breast cancer are on the rise largely thanks to rising obesity rates, doctors say. Some 100 million Americans live with excess fat that puts them at risk for cancer and other chronic conditions.
“There’s an annual increase of about 1 percent or less in male breast cancer cases,” Cristina Lopez-Penalver, a breast surgical oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, explained in a statement last year.
“The obesity epidemic plays a significant role, as it leads to elevated estrogen levels, which stimulate breast epithelial proliferation and can facilitate malignant transformation which is the mechanism of action behind breast cancer,” she said.
Approximately 530 men are expected to die of the condition this year.
