Male breast cancer

Abstract

Believe it or not, everyone has breast tissue — those assigned female at birth as well as those assigned male at birth. Those assigned male at birth do have some breast tissue behind the nipples, and therefore are able to develop breast cancer. While diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer is similar for both sexes assigned at birth, the disease overwhelmingly impacts those assigned female at birth. In fact, it’s about 100 times more likely to occur in females than males and the lifetime risk for males getting breast cancer is 1 in 833. As for your concern specifically, Reader, it may be reassuring for you to know that although male breast cancer can happen at any age, it's extremely rare for males under 18. That being said, the presence of any atypical lumps, bumps, or changes in your breast tissue could also be due to a different noncancerous condition or even just a stage of life. In any case, it’s recommended that you talk with a health care provider about what you've noticed to help you investigate further.