We're Ready To Help Call us to schedule an appointment or contact us online 
|
|
|
Treatments for male breast cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy.
Surgery
The surgical treatment options for male breast cancer have evolved in a way that mirrors female breast cancer treatment. Although male breast cancer was most commonly treated by radical mastectomy prior to the 1970s, since that time modified radical mastectomy has become the surgical standard of care. Lumpectomy is rarely performed, as the small amount of breast tissue in males makes breast conservation impractical and technically difficult. In addition the cosmetic aspects of mastectomy in males are not as dramatic as in females. Axillary lymph-node removal remains part of the standard treatment of male breast cancer. The possible side effects of lymph-node removal, including lymphedema (a swelling of the arm and hand) and sensory and functional impairment of the breast and arm area, can also occur in males patients.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is currently offering sentinel node biopsy to male patients with small tumors who meet the same eligibility criteria as our female patients, with the hope of sparing them axillary lymph-node removal. Sentinel node biopsy is as effective for men as it is for women.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is offered to breast cancer patients to rid the body of any microscopic cancer cells that may remain near the area where the cancer was originally found. The usual course of therapy includes daily treatments five days a week for five to seven weeks. Each session generally lasts an hour or less.
Radiation therapy works by causing changes at the molecular level in tissues where the radiation beam is targeted. Giving all the radiation needed at one time would cause significant and irreparable damage not only to cancer cells, but also to normal cells. However, giving small doses of radiation each day enables the majority of healthy cells to repair any damage, while rendering cancer cells inactive.
The good news is that, apart from some general fatigue, there are very few side effects associated with radiation therapy. Some patients may develop a sunburn-like reaction on the areas of their skin that were irradiated, while others may have no perceptible side effects at all.
Systemic Therapy
Most drug treatment options for male breast cancer patients have been derived from treatment for female breast cancer. Adjuvant or enhanced chemotherapy is typically given to patients whose lymph nodes were positive for cancer or whose disease has recurred. Because the majority of male breast cancers are hormone-sensitive, hormonal treatment is currently widely used for male breast cancer patients. It has been used to treat patients with metastatic or advanced-stage disease, and patients with positive lymph nodes and or large tumors. In the past, hormonal treatment for male breast cancer patients was accomplished through orchiectomy, the removal of the testicles. Currently treatment with tamoxifen, a drug found to reduce breast cancer risk, is the most frequently used hormonal therapy.
