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We do not claim to be or want to be health professionals but need to share important health facts with you as we see them to increase awareness.
Article recently posted on breastcancer.org Most people tend to think of breast cancer as a woman's disease. But men get breast cancer too. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1200 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in American men each year (compared to about 200,000 cases of breast cancer in U.S. women). We need to learn much more about breast cancer in men, and how it responds to various treatments, in order to improve the diagnosis and therapy for men who have this disease. In this section you can read about recent research on male breast cancer. These research reports are part of the Breastcancer.org program. Our experts examine recent breast cancer research for exciting advances, important updates, and changes in how breast cancer is treated and diagnosed. We present these studies in easy-to-understand language, explaining their importance, how they were conducted, and what impact the results might have for YOU. To find out about upcoming Research News reports, as well as other important Breastcancer.org programs, go to www.breastcancer.org Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive form of invasive breast cancer. It is called inflammatory breast cancer because its main symptoms are swelling (inflammation) and redness of the breast. The skin on the breast may appear dimpled, like the skin of an orange, and may be warm to the touch . Because of its symptoms and the frequent lack of a lump, inflammatory breast cancer may first be treated as an infection. With other forms of breast cancer, symptoms may not occur for years. However, with inflammatory breast cancer, symptoms tend to arise within weeks or months. Routine mammography can miss this cancer because of the rapid onset of the condition. Inflammatory breast cancer can also be difficult to see on a mammogram because it is often spread throughout the breast. However, skin changes or a mass can usually be felt during a clinical exam. The average age of diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer is slightly younger than the age of diagnosis of other forms of breast cancer.
Research News on Male Breast Cancer
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Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Survivors attending our Bikers4Boobs 2008 event
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Remember your Self Examination
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Here's what you should look for:
- Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:
- Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
- A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
- Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes. 
Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).
Step 4:
Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.
