Can guys get breast cancer?

Until the age of about 12, both boys and girls have a certain amount of breast tissue. At puberty, the increase in estrogen encourages the female breasts to develop, so it therefore logical that all men have a small amount of breast tissue.

Since Estrogen is responsible for the development of breast tissue, it also follows that men with high levels of estrogen are at higher risk for developing breast cancer. In fact, higher levels of estrogen is one of the risk factors involved with the development of breast cancers in females and males.

Although guys getting breast cancer is fairly rare - 1% of the breast cancer cases are diagnosed in men which relates to about 370 cases per year, versus 48.400 female cases - guys still get breast cancer.

The alarming news is that estrogen in our drinking water supply is increasing at at astounding rate. Far from being a "myth", the Mail Online yesterday published an article outlining the fact that a whole generation's sperm count may be at risk as a result of the increasing estrogen levels in the our drinking water.

The problem is so bad that fish stocks in local rivers are being threatened. In one study the Medical Research Council determined that fertility in men has dropped by 25% over the past thirty years and that fertility drops by an estimated two percent per year. Although other factors have also been linked to the decrease in fertility, the increase in estrogen in our water supply has some dire consequences for us.

Estrogen and increased estrogen levels have been directly linked to an increase in cancer risk for breast cancer. So we could see an increase in the number of guys getting cancer in the future.

The link between sugar and cancer is also becoming more and more obvious. In a study published yesterday by the BMC Medical Journal, the link between breast cancer and sugar consumption was highlighted as a risk factor in developing breast cancer.

The bottom line is that the link between sugar and cancer was first announced in the early 1930s by Dr. Otto Warburg and he was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discoveries regarding the link between sugar and cancer at that time.

As our sugar consumption increases, so does our incidence of life-threatening diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease, to name a few.

Unless we begin to curb our sugar consumption, the risk and diagnosis of cancer will continue to increase and that would most likely include the number of incidents where guys are diagnosed with breast cancer.

It is therefore important to spread the word about men and breast cancer as well as the dangers that excess sugar and estrogen pose to our health and well-being.

• Changes in male breasts or breast tissue should not be ignored
• Pay attention to changes in the testicles
• Pay attention to unexplained weight loss and schedule an appointment to discover the underlying cause
• Pay attention to fatigue and if you are suffering from abnormal levels of fatigue then you should get a checkup to identify the underlying cause

The top things men ignore, that could help in the early detection, treatment or even prevention of male cancer, including breast cancer include:

1. Men tend to avoid screening or preventative checkups
   Women have been educated about screening and checkups and as a result women are far more likely to schedule regular appointments for preventative checkups.
2. Men tend to ignore changes to testicle
   Men tend to ignore unexplained lumps or bumps that suddenly appear in the testicle region. Lumps or bumps have many causes not only cancer and a checkup to determine the cause may actually lead to early diagnosis of cancer if it is indeed cancer. This can improve your chances of beating the disease.
3. Men tend to ignore swollen lymph glands
   Swollen lymph glands can also be caused by a number of factors and not only cancer. If you find swollen lymph glands, don't ignore them. Schedule an appointment to determine the underlying cause. Cancer detected early enough can help you to beat the disease.
4. Men tend to ignore unexplained weight loss
   Once again, like the symptoms above cancer can cause unexplained weight loss, but it is not the only cause but unexplained weight loss should be reason enough to schedule and appointment to determine the underlying cause.
5. Men tend to ignore unexplained or constant fatigue
   Constant fatigue is a symptom of an underlying problem. If you are suffering from constant fatigue then you should schedule an appointment with your physician to rule out cancer as an underlying cause

As you can see, breast cancer is a real danger for men too. That is why it is important to pay attention to the signs and symptoms of breast cancer in males, and if you find any symptoms, its best to make an appointment to rule out the possibility of male breast cancer.

Like with female breast cancer, early detection of the condition can be a key to the successful treatment of the disease.

Cancer is not a death sentence and there are reliable and effective treatments for the disease if caught early enough.

Breast tissue is not just a girl thing and now matter how manly a man is every man has a certain amount of breast tissue.

Rising sugar consumption and the rising estrogen levels in our water are real risk factors where it comes to developing certain types of cancer's including breast cancer in both males and females.

You can reduce your risk of developing any cancer, breast cancer included by reducing the amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates that you consume on a daily basis. Reducing carbohydrates and sugars will also reduce your risks of developing other chronic or life-threatening diseases like diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.

Early detection holds the key to the successful treatment of all cancers including male breast cancer. Educate your sons, husbands and brothers about the dangers of male breast cancer and how to do self examinations to detect any lumps or bumps early on.

Finally, a diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence. Investigate all the treatment options available for cancer. For more information on cancer therapies and the therapies for cachexia, you can read, "What is Cachexia".