Male breast cancer

[meegbear]

I was out the other night at a bar I frequent when I see one of my friends I've been trying to reach. I went over to him and he was visibly depressed. I said hello and mentioned how I've been tyring to reach him and asked if everything was alright. His mom's health in the past few months has been declining, so I figured that was it. He said no and leaned forward and said to me "I have breast cancer".

My jaw dropped and he nodded. I had a sister who died of breast cancer at 38, so there is a sort of connect there. He's 43. We chatted about it for a couple minutes then said "Anything I can do, please let me know."

Has anyone had experience with this? I've looked online and got some info, while being very rare, but there is a "stigma" when men get this. I wanna help anyway I can.

[eyesroll]

1. My uncle had it.

Big family history of breast cancer, but it was still surprising.
He had a lumpectomy, radiation and chemo, and is fine now. This was a few years ago.

Best wishes to your friend.

[undeterred]

2. I think around 1% of all breast cancers are in men

It is more scary in some ways because there is less tissue there than in a woman, and the big thing in cancer surgery is getting "clean margins". They lose part of the chest wall. I think people are surprised to hear that it happens in men, but it does. Maybe its less scary because the loss of a breast means something different to men than to women, but maybe its more scary medically as men are not looking for lumps and aren't alarmed by it as a woman would be so it is detected later.

Just be as supportive as you can- most hospitals should be able to help him find a support group of other people going through cancer treatment. There is tons of cancer information online- there has to be a way to help him find other men dealing with the same illness.

This looks like a good link:
http://www.johnwnickfoundation.org/index.html

[grannylib]

3. My husband's uncle had it about 20-25 years ago; they got it all and he

has been fine since.
Will keep your friend in thought and prayer; it must be a very difficult thing...I can see where there would be a stigma attached to that. Hope all will be well with him.