Male Breast Disease

Comprehensive Breast Care

Our Boulder breast center knows that not all breast disease affects women. Many men suffer from breast disease every year. We offer compassionate care for men who are going through breast disease and male breast cancer. Our clinic can help with breast surgery for men, breast lumps and breast pain. The most common breast problems seen in consultation with a breast specialist are:

• Breast Pain
• Nipple Discharge
• Breast Infections
• Breast Mass
• Breast Cancer

Though breast disease is most commonly thought of as a woman’s condition, male breast disease exists and 1% of all newly diagnosed breast cancers are found in men.

Male Breast Disease

The two most common forms of male breast disease are gynecomastia and male breast cancer.

Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is a condition in which the male breast tissue swells and increases in size. This is often associated with breast tenderness and pain. Gynecomastia typically occurs in young men age 20-30 and also in older men after 60 years of age.

Gynecomastia occurs when there is an overproduction of estrogen (i.e, liver disease or thyroid disease), alcoholism, drug side effects, testicular tumors, or a reduction in the male hormone testosterone.

Workup may include mammography and ultrasonography. Similar to workup for a women with a breast mass, a biopsy may be warranted to exclude a diagnosis of breast cancer. In some cases, men opt to undergo surgery to remove the affected breast tissue because of pain or embarrassing cosmetics.

Male Breast Cancer

Male breast cancer is cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men. Though breast cancer is most commonly thought of as a woman’s disease, male breast cancer does occur in approximately 1% of all newly diagnosed breast cancers. Male breast cancer is most common in older men though it can occur at any age. The surgical treatment options for male breast cancer usually involves complete removal of the breast (mastectomy) with sentinel lymph node sampling.

Our goal is to coordinate and expedite your care so that you can focus on healing and enjoying your life. Please call us today at 303‑449‑3642 to schedule an appointment or ask a question. The entire Boulder Breast Center team is here to help.