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Biopsies for Male Breast Cancer
Breast
cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in an area in the breast.
Contrary to common belief that breast cancer is only for women, men
are also possible targets of the disorder. Both female and male
breast cancers are detected through self-examination and tested
through a breast biopsy.
Males can
have breast cancer because they also have a small amount of breast
tissues. These tissues however cannot produce milk so they are said
to be nonfunctioning. Given the small amount of nonfunctioning
breast tissues, incidence of male breast cancer is also lower than
that of female breast cancer. It accounts for only about 1 % of all
breast cancers.
During
self-examination, one must look for a firm mass or lump located in
the area just below the nipple. This is the most common symptom of
male breast cancer. One must also observe for any of the following:
pulled back nipple or inverted nipple, changes in the way the skin
around the nipple feels, discharges from the nipple and ulceration
or scaling of the nipple. Though these things may be alarming, they
do not necessarily mean that the person who has them has breast
cancer. It is therefore recommended that the person seek doctor’s
assistance.
A
doctor will confirm the presence of a lump by conducting physical
examination by palpating or ordering mammography, ultrasound or
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The doctor will also ask questions
such as history of breast cancer in the family or occurrence of
other breast disorders in the past. Once the presence of the lump is
confirmed, the doctor will order a breast biopsy.
The breast
biopsy procedure is the removal of samples of breast tissue for
testing for signs of breast cancer or other breast disorders. This
could be done through either surgical or non-surgical means.
Surgical
breast biopsy involves removing either a portion of the suspicious
lump or the entire mass itself. Since males have smaller breast
tissues, lumps are easily located and accessed for biopsy. Collected
samples are subjected to microscopic examination by a pathologist to
determine presence of cancerous cells.
Non-surgical breast biopsy procedures, as the name implies, are
noninvasive. These non-surgical procedures are fine needle
aspiration biopsy, core needle biopsy and vacuum-assisted breast
biopsy. Fine needle aspiration biopsy uses a thin needle inserted
into the lump to withdraw sample tissues. Core needle biopsy on the
other hand uses a thicker needle to extract samples. Vacuum-assisted
breast biopsy uses a probe inserted with guidance from an ultrasound
machine or MRI. A vacuum sucks out breast tissues and samples are
taken for examination.
Like
breast cancer in females, there are also different types of male
breast cancer. The most common of which is infiltrating ductal
carcinoma. Ductal carcinoma originates in the ducts and it is called
infiltrating if it has spread into the surrounding tissues. Uncommon
types are cystosarcoma phylloides, papillary carcinoma, medullary
carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ or ductal carcinoma that has
not spread beyond the ducts. Another type, the lobular carcinoma, is
very rare because males do not have lobules like the ones in milk
glands of women.
As women
are advised to conduct regular breast self-examination, men should
also do the same. One must do this more often because outward signs
are less visible. Always remember, males do get breast cancer too.
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