Male breast cancer generally occurs at what age?

Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
Updated on January 03, 2025
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The general age of onset for male breast cancer is between 65 and 67 years old, which is about five to ten years later than the onset age for female breast cancer. Male breast cancer is a relatively rare malignancy, accounting for only 0.6% to 1% of all breast cancer cases, meaning that out of 100 breast cancer patients, approximately one is male. The development of male breast cancer is caused by multiple factors, which may include genetic factors, environmental influences, and also related to levels of hormone secretion from the endocrine system.

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Written by Peng Li Bo
Oncology
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Male breast cancer generally occurs at what age?

The general age of onset for male breast cancer is between 65 and 67 years old, which is about five to ten years later than the onset age for female breast cancer. Male breast cancer is a relatively rare malignancy, accounting for only 0.6% to 1% of all breast cancer cases, meaning that out of 100 breast cancer patients, approximately one is male. The development of male breast cancer is caused by multiple factors, which may include genetic factors, environmental influences, and also related to levels of hormone secretion from the endocrine system.

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Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
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How long does breast cancer surgery take?

Generally speaking, for breast cancer surgery, local anesthesia is first used to biopsy the pathology. After removing the pathology, it is quickly determined whether it is malignant or benign. Then, the procedure is switched to general anesthesia to perform either modified radical mastectomy or radical mastectomy, or a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The approximate time is about two hours, plus postoperative care, it usually ends in about two and a half hours, and then the patient is sent back to the ward to rest, generally not exceeding three hours.

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Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
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Late-stage symptoms of breast cancer

The first symptom of advanced breast cancer is a lump in the breast, which may be larger than before, or there may be multiple lumps that are fixed to the surrounding tissues and have limited mobility. The second symptom is nipple discharge, which could be watery, serous, or milky. The third possible sign is changes in the skin, such as dimpling or an orange-peel texture. The fourth point includes the retraction of the nipple, abnormalities in the areola, and thickening and reddening of the nipple skin. The fifth point can involve pain in the breast. In advanced stages, the cancer may directly invade the nerves. Sixthly, advanced breast cancer may lead to metastases; for example, brain metastases might cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness. If there are bone metastases, especially multiple bone metastases, symptoms could include pain in the lower back and pain along the sciatic nerve, among others.

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Written by Fan Hong Qiao
Breast Health Department
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Breast Cancer Self-Examination Method

Breast self-examination helps to detect changes in the breasts in a timely manner, and to discover breast diseases promptly. For instance, breast lumps are often found by patients themselves during self-examination. However, finding a breast lump does not necessarily mean it is breast cancer, as many conditions can present as breast lumps, such as the most common one, fibrocystic breast changes. Besides breast self-examination, early detection of breast cancer also relies on regular physical check-ups. It is recommended that women of childbearing age should develop the habit of regular breast self-examinations and routine physical check-ups, and consult a doctor promptly if abnormalities are found.

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Written by Zhang Chao Jie
Breast Surgery
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Can breast cancer be cured?

Breast cancer is one of the few curable solid malignant tumors; a solid tumor refers to one that forms a mass or has a tangible tumor body. However, the prerequisite is that the breast cancer must be in its early stages, as advanced breast cancer is currently difficult to cure, and not all early-stage breast cancers can be cured. With standardized systematic treatment in modern medicine, about 60% to 70% of early-stage breast cancers can be completely cured. However, 30% to 40% of early-stage breast cancers still develop into advanced-stage breast cancer. This is one of the reasons why long-term monitoring, close follow-up, and regular re-examinations are necessary for breast cancer management later on.