Tweet
Cancer-hit men seek medical help later than women in Armenia
December 8, 17:49
The breast cancer can develop in women and in men as well, though
rarely. According to Khachanush Hakobyan, the Director of
Armenian-American Health center (Mammography Center), from 842
examined male patients in the center over 31 had a malignant tumor of
the chest, over 457 - benign, called gynecomastia. For more
information, we contacted the radiologist of Armenian-American Health
Center Hovhannes Vardevanyan.
«Due to the low level of female sex hormones, the male mammary gland
is underdeveloped. And if there «appears» a breast in men, he has to
see the doctor. Nevertheless, he should not panic. Because in most
cases the reason is in fat storage - lipomastia. But combination of
fat storage and gynecomastia is also possible », - told Hovhannes
Vardevanyan to the correspondent of NEWS.am Medicine.
If one in eight women can get breast cancer, the men developed the
disease 10 times rarer.
But the treatment method is similar. If it is gynecomastia (benign
change, i.e. the presence of glandular tissue in men), then the
patient should be under the supervision of a physician, who is going
to decide when the patient undergoes radiological examination or
consults with specialists, such as oncologist, endocrinologist,
mammologist, andrologist. And if the oncologist suspects cancer, he
would decide what measures to take next. The basic approach is a
combination of local and systemic (general) treatments. In this case
they use surgical (mastectomy) and radiotherapy methods as local ones,
and chemotherapy and hormonal treatment as systemic therapies.
Cause of the breast cancer can be a trauma or exposure to carcinogens.
Information about genetic inheritance from father to son is not
discovered yet. To a large extent the risk of acquiring cancer is
transmitted through the maternal line, including from mother and the
nearest female relatives to son.
«As for gynecomastia, the disease may develop in childhood, but very
rarely. In adolescence, during sexual development of the organism
gynecomastia in men may transiently be observed, as female and male
hormones rise in parallel. Unless there are no endocrine disorders in
the body, the glandular tissue in men spontaneously disappears. In old
age, when there is a disruption of the liver and denaturation of the
hormones, female hormones are trapped in a male body and lead to
gynecomastia. It is related to the health of internal sexual organs,
too. The consequences of gynecomastia can be benign and malignant
lesions of the prostate and testicles. On average, the occurrence of
breast cancer in men is observed mostly after 60.
In males the malignant tumour most often develops and progresses in
aggressive form. There are early metastases in axillary region and
skeletal system. Usually the tumor is located under the nipple,
areola, or close to them, leading to an asymmetry in the chest. Often
there is bloody spotting from the nipple. In advanced cancer there can
be ulceration of the skin.
In general, the results of treatment of breast cancer in men are worse
than in women. Probably, this is because tumours in men tend to fast
metastasis. And men do not undergo preventive examinations, as do the
women. That is why their premalignant stage quickly develops into
invasive cancer. Obvious is the fact that men seek help very late. As
a rule, if they even feel something in the chest area, they are more
inclined to think that it is a muscle.
Yana Avchiyan
NEWS.am Medicine
From: A. Papazian
December 8, 17:49
The breast cancer can develop in women and in men as well, though
rarely. According to Khachanush Hakobyan, the Director of
Armenian-American Health center (Mammography Center), from 842
examined male patients in the center over 31 had a malignant tumor of
the chest, over 457 - benign, called gynecomastia. For more
information, we contacted the radiologist of Armenian-American Health
Center Hovhannes Vardevanyan.
«Due to the low level of female sex hormones, the male mammary gland
is underdeveloped. And if there «appears» a breast in men, he has to
see the doctor. Nevertheless, he should not panic. Because in most
cases the reason is in fat storage - lipomastia. But combination of
fat storage and gynecomastia is also possible », - told Hovhannes
Vardevanyan to the correspondent of NEWS.am Medicine.
If one in eight women can get breast cancer, the men developed the
disease 10 times rarer.
But the treatment method is similar. If it is gynecomastia (benign
change, i.e. the presence of glandular tissue in men), then the
patient should be under the supervision of a physician, who is going
to decide when the patient undergoes radiological examination or
consults with specialists, such as oncologist, endocrinologist,
mammologist, andrologist. And if the oncologist suspects cancer, he
would decide what measures to take next. The basic approach is a
combination of local and systemic (general) treatments. In this case
they use surgical (mastectomy) and radiotherapy methods as local ones,
and chemotherapy and hormonal treatment as systemic therapies.
Cause of the breast cancer can be a trauma or exposure to carcinogens.
Information about genetic inheritance from father to son is not
discovered yet. To a large extent the risk of acquiring cancer is
transmitted through the maternal line, including from mother and the
nearest female relatives to son.
«As for gynecomastia, the disease may develop in childhood, but very
rarely. In adolescence, during sexual development of the organism
gynecomastia in men may transiently be observed, as female and male
hormones rise in parallel. Unless there are no endocrine disorders in
the body, the glandular tissue in men spontaneously disappears. In old
age, when there is a disruption of the liver and denaturation of the
hormones, female hormones are trapped in a male body and lead to
gynecomastia. It is related to the health of internal sexual organs,
too. The consequences of gynecomastia can be benign and malignant
lesions of the prostate and testicles. On average, the occurrence of
breast cancer in men is observed mostly after 60.
In males the malignant tumour most often develops and progresses in
aggressive form. There are early metastases in axillary region and
skeletal system. Usually the tumor is located under the nipple,
areola, or close to them, leading to an asymmetry in the chest. Often
there is bloody spotting from the nipple. In advanced cancer there can
be ulceration of the skin.
In general, the results of treatment of breast cancer in men are worse
than in women. Probably, this is because tumours in men tend to fast
metastasis. And men do not undergo preventive examinations, as do the
women. That is why their premalignant stage quickly develops into
invasive cancer. Obvious is the fact that men seek help very late. As
a rule, if they even feel something in the chest area, they are more
inclined to think that it is a muscle.
Yana Avchiyan
NEWS.am Medicine
From: A. Papazian