Male Breast Cancer Treatment

Male breast cancer treatment options are essentially the same as treatment options for women. The standard types of male breast cancer treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation therapy. Male breast cancer treatment for locally recurrent cancer usually consists of either surgery combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy.

Men and Breast Cancer

Male Breast Cancer Treatment: An Overview

Male breast cancer treatment is the same as breast cancer treatment in women.

Choosing the most appropriate breast cancer treatment is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and healthcare team.

Types of Male Breast Cancer Treatment

Four types of standard male breast cancer treatment options are used:

Surgery
Chemotherapy
Hormone therapy
Radiation therapy.

Surgery

Most men diagnosed with breast cancer will receive a modified radical mastectomy (removal of the breast, some of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles).

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (this is called systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, into a body cavity such as the abdomen, or into an organ, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (this is called local chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

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