Show l NOT ONLY A WOMEN'S DI DISEASE SEASE Mikkel 1 J JJ I l' l orl vr VF 1 i t qu 1 s bl 4 One of the greatest dangers in life is thinking that something cant can't happen to you This is what makes breast cancer cancer so dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- for men Men get breast cancer and they are more likely to die from it than women This year the American Cancer society estimates 1300 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men 6 men will be Utahans There will be deaths from breast cancer of those will be men Although this is a lower number it represents men who thought they were immune to this disease Why is it that men die from this l women women's s disease Guys dont don't think they have breasts They have not breasts says Michael Hayes survived Samuelson a man who breast cancer But there is a real danger formen for formen formen men with breast cancer in that embarrassment kills he told the American Cancer Society during an interview Samuelson detected a lump under his right nipple after meeting meeting meeting meet meet- with his accountant ing Samuelson commented his friend looked tired learned his friend was suffering suffering suffering suf suf- He fering the side effects of chemotherapy he was being treated for breast cancer Shock brea breast t can can- had r A man he knew w 1 cere On the way to his car first the t r Samuelson performed self breast exam he had ever everI ever I done Men dont don't usually perform self nOLdo they receive i ian an exam by doctor ar However women meet with a gynecologist annually and are given a routine breast exam then are encouraged to check for lumps or abnormal growth each month during a self exam Often growths in men arent aren't detected early Therefore the breast cancer is seldom diagnosed diagnosed diagnosed nosed before it more advanced stages When breast cancer treatment isn't begun until the forth of five stages the survival rate is only 14 Patrick I. I Borgen MD chief of breast service in the department of surgery at Memorial Sloan- Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NewYork New NewYork NewYork York said The point here is neither men f nor their doctors are looking for tor breast cancer Male breast cancer is just as curable as female breast cancer The lesson is that men get breast cancer If you find a lump and a doctor doesn't suspect breast cancer get a second ion Men are less susceptible to breast cancer than women in hormones hormones hormones hor hor- be because ause of the differences mones produced by the body Men want to protect their mothers mothers moth moth- ers wives and daughters from the disease but need to learn about protecting themselves as well Maybe ego or embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment embarrass embarrass- ment does get in the way but neither neither neither nei nei- nei- nei ther will save a man from death if he faces the disease Men need to be aware of their See Breast Cancer on page 9 Breast Cancer continued from page 3 risk for breast cancer and women who love them should educate them on the risk Education and early detection is the key to both men and women beating breast cancer The following is a list of risk factors from the American Cancer Society men men should be aware of seven major factors Age generally men are diagnosed diagnosed diagnosed nosed around the age of 65 blood relative relative relative rela rela- Family History a tive who has had breast cancer increases a mans man's risk of getting the disease by 20 Women with witha a male breast cancer victim in their family should be doubly aware of increased risk to them Klinefelter's syndrome a congenital congenital congenital con con- genital condition affecting 1 in every 1000 men These men have two X chromosomes and andone andone andone one Y chromosome Radiation exposure especially especial especial- ly exposure to the chest area Liver disease damage to the liver can reduce productivity of androgen male hormones and increase levels of estrogen female hormones in a mans man's system Estrogen treatments such treatments are usually part of treatment for prostate cancer orin or orin orin in sex change procedures Physical inactivity and obesity obesity ty this increases risk for disease universally C O Dedicated to Craig Mullet Muller who died of breast cancer in 2000 nine months after diagnosis |