Can men develop breast cancer? Expert answers

Think breast cancer only occurs among women? Think again.

According to Dr. Norman San Agustin, president and CEO of Asian Breast Center, men are also at risk for the disease.

“The answer is yes,” he told GMA News Online in a recent Zoom interview when asked if it was possible for men to develop breast.

According to the doctor, "1% of all breast cancers are in males,” explaining men also have breast tissues where cancer cells can start to grow.

“You can’t have cancer if you don’t have the cells. Once the cells start to develop, you can have breast cancer,” he said.

However, the doctor clarified men are less likely to develop breast cancer than women because during puberty, men generally do not grow more breast tissue than women.

“When you develop cancer — any cancer, cancer in the eyes, the nipple, the feet, the legs, liver — these cancers always come from normal cells. They’re the ones that grow crazy, and they start growing independently and out of control, and spread in different parts of the body,” he explained.

“The breast is no different. So when you develop breast cancer, what’s involved in the cancer are breast cells,” he said.

According to San Agustin, men who develop breast cancer generally undergo the same treatment as women.

“The nice thing about it is men [developing breast cancer is they] don’t have to worry about reconstruction. All they’re gonna lose is the nipple if the tumor in the breast is near the nipple area. But, the treatment generally is the same,” he said.

In a separate interview with GMA Integrated News, San Agustin said the Philippines has one of the highest incidences of breast cancer in the world, with 1 in 4 Filipinos developing breast cancer.

Experts say early detection is most important, as breast cancer is a curable disease. They recommend women 35 years old and above to get mammograms and to regularly perform self-examination.

Meanwhile, San Agustin advises to minimize stress, live a healthy life, maintain the ideal body mass index, and avoid smoking and drinking to decrease the chances of developing breast cancer. — LA, GMA Integrated News