Men can also get breast cancer, expert warns

İZMİR – Demirören News Agency

The frequency of breast cancer has been on the rise among not only Turkish women, but also men, an academic has warned. 

Professor Özgül Karayurt from the Nursing Department of the İzmir University of Economics said that some 500 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, according to the Turkish Health Ministry.

She warned that one percent of breast cancer patients are men, saying that they should also do self-breast exams regularly.

“Just as women, men also should check their breasts and go see a doctor in case of a physical change,” she said.

“Since the breast tissue of women is larger, they have difficulty in finding a lump or noticing a change; however, men can notice lumps much easier because their breast tissue is smaller,” she added.

Almost 99 percent of breast cancer patients are women in all countries. One in every eight women (12.5 percent) in the world were diagnosed with the disease as of 2019, according to experts, who also predict that the rate will increase to 20 percent in the upcoming years.

Women and men should also examine their armpits for early detection of spreading cancer cells, or carcinomatosis, said Karayurt.

“Studies show that vitamin D deficiency, sedentary lifestyle and obesity increase risk of breast cancer,” she added.