MALE BREAST CANCER FACTS

Men, like women, can develop breast cancer.

• Yes, it’s true.  Men just like women have breast tissue that can develop abnormal cancerous cells.  However, the last several decades have led to significant advances in the treatment and detection of breast cancer.  So, whether you are male or female, with early detection, breast cancer can be treatable and beatable.
• Men get breast cancer at significantly lower rates than women.  The American Cancer Center (ACS) estimates that 1,720 new cases of male breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2006 and of those, 27 percent are estimated to die from the disease, compared to 19 percent of women with breast cancer.
  • Male breast cancer may be less common than other male cancers, but the death rate is significantly higher for male breast cancer than for both prostate (9 percent) and testicular cancer (4 percent).
• Lack of awareness about male breast cancer can be fatal – men with breast cancer often mistake visible lumps for other problems or ignore them until it is too late; embarrassment and social stigma can also contribute to later diagnosis. Cancer found at a later stage may be less likely to be effectively treated.
• Male breast cancer is most common in men between the ages of 60 and 70.
• According to the American Cancer Society, the number of breast cancer cases has been increasing in the last 20 years; this is due, in part, to earlier detection with increased use of mammography.

Please Note: For a free breast self exam guide please click here

A Family Health Tree to help identify breast cancer in your family can be found here.

Join us for a Heart Walk in your area

Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s premiere event for raising funds to help save lives from heart disease and stroke.

The U.S. is facing an urgent maternal and infant health crisis—but together with our partners and supporters, we can end preventable maternal health risks and death, end preventable preterm birth, and close the health equity gap for every family.

We imagine a world where every mom and baby is healthy regardless of wealth, race, gender, or geography.

Cervical Health Awareness Month

The United States Congress designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month. More than 14,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer each year, but the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening.

During January, NCCC and its many local chapters across the country highlight issues related to cervical cancer, HPV disease and the importance of early detection. While NCCC chapters host events throughout the year, January is a month with a special focus as chapters celebrate Cervical Health Awareness Month and work to spread the word in their communities.

NCCC and the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) also offer a range of resources (listed below) to educate the public and healthcare providers about cervical health, from fact sheets to episodes of ASHA’s Sex+Health podcast.

What Can You Do?

As someone who is interested in educating and advocating for increased knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV disease, you can do a lot. You can contact your local media to encourage coverage of Cervical Health Awareness Month, offering this ASHA/NCCC press release. You can also send this proclamation to your mayor, or local legislative office to publicly recognize Cervical Health Awareness Month.

You can also check out the resources on this page—download, display and distribute our cervical cancer awareness month posters and help NCCC and ASHA get the word out on social media.