Last week, I had my annual mammogram. As usual, I asked to complete the application. One question caught his eye. I am sure it has always been there; I just never did much. Gender: Male or Female. What is? But why do they ask this? I knew people cancer, but I never thought about how to diagnose it. So I asked the technicians.
Sure enough, he said, men should have mammograms, too. My immediate response was “Hey!” It is not for women. That’s a whole lot of pain. But who? I had visions of ripping out and stretching the front of the fabric to get her back on the seat. For those of you who don’t know, the chest is compressed between two plates. Two x-rays are taken of both breasts. After hearing this, I had to learn more. such is what I found.
The National Library of Medicine says male-breast-cancer”>male breast cancer rare, which occurs in men between 60 and 70-year-olds, although it is not uncommon to be diagnosed at a younger age. “Risk factors include… having a family history of breast cancer and high estrogen levels, which can occur with diseases such as cirrhosis or Klinefelter’s syndrome. If find a lump or observe changes in their breasts, they do not want to see their doctor. Because of this, it is less than save women. If they did seeing a doctor early in the day and survival would be the same.
The diagnosis is the same for both sexes. Monthly breast-exams are recommended and performed the same as for women. For a mammogram, people usually have enough breast tissue to get a good image. If they don’t, other options are ultrasound or biopsy. The concerns are the same.
It is interesting for people to look at their family history . If they have a female relative who has breast or breast cancer, they have the same danger with other female relatives.
John W. Nick is a non-profit organization founded by his daughter John Nick. He died of breast cancer in 1991 at the age of 58. Everyone said no. So he did nothing. By the time he found a doctor who shared his concerns (in 1989), it was too late. On this site there are many stories of people who have been diagnosed with cancer. Not all survived; all under the age of 60
Don’t be a statistic. Look at your family history. Do monthly breast exams. If you find anything unusual, see a doctor. Don’t think it only happens to women or it can’t happen to you.
Works cited:
Image Corporation. Breast Cancer in Men. Retrieved from http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/mammographia_small_breasts.asp on June 3, 2007.
John W. Nick Foundation, Inc. Personal Stories.. i> Retrieved from http://www.johnwnickfoundation.org on June 3, 2007.
National Library of Medicine. May 19, 2007. Male Breast Cancer. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malebreastcancer.html on June 3, 2007.
USA Today September 18, 2001. RichardRoundtree Knows ‘Invention’ in Cancer. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-09 – 18-roundtree-cancer.htm June 3, 2007.
