Georgia residents should know that breast cancer does arise in men, however rare it might be, since men have breast tissue and even the glands for producing milk and the ducts for carrying that milk to the nipple. There are three common types of breast cancer in men: invasive ductal carcinoma, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive lobular carcinoma
IDC starts in the milk duct and spreads to the fatty tissue, after which it may metastasize in other parts of the body. IDC affects 8 out of 10 men with breast cancer, and it may be combined with other cancers whether invasive or in situ. DCIS affects the cells lining the ducts, and though it is in situ, it may become invasive in the future. There’s currently no way to predict DCIS behavior. This affects 1 in 10 male breast cancer patients.
ILC, which resides in the lobular or glandular breast tissue, affects only about 2% of male breast cancer patients because most men do not have much of this tissue. Other types of breast cancers in men include inflammatory breast cancer and Paget’s disease in the nipple.
Not all breast cancers form a lump. Many lumps, in fact, may just be benign tumors. The most common of the benign breast disorders among men is gynecomastia.
The path to a correct diagnosis of breast cancer in men, as with many other cancers, can be long and frustrating. Those who are harmed as a result of a delayed diagnosis or an outright misdiagnosis may have grounds for a medical malpractice case. They may have had to undergo unnecessary treatments while their true condition worsened in the meantime. With a lawyer, victims may be able to present their case and negotiate for a fair settlement.
