Is breast cancer in men a myth?

All people, whether male or female, are born with breast cells and tissue. Even though males do not develop milk-producing breasts, a man’s breast cells and tissue can still develop cancer. Less than one per cent of all breast cancer cases develop in men, and only one in 1,000 men will ever be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Of the men who develop breast cancer, the vast majority of those cases are Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma (IDC), which means cells in or around the ducts begin to invade surrounding tissue. Even with a low rate of occurrence, men carry a higher mortality than women do, primarily because awareness among men is less and they are less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer, which can cause a delay in seeking treatment.