Before learning breast cancer symptoms in women and men, lets understand what is this. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer in women. Globally the incidence of breast cancer second only to that of lung cancer, and this disease is the leading cause of death among women.  The rate of increase is increasing in low risk population .men also gets breast cancer .breast cancer is hormone dependent .women with late menarche ,early menopause ,and first full term pregnancy by age 18 years have low risk of breast cancer. breast cancers incidences are mostly seen after the age of 30.the incidence of breast cancer doubles every 10 year until the menopause.

Early menarche and late menopause increase the risk. ovarian ablation before 35 year reduces the risk of breast cancer by 60%.menopause after the age of 55 year doubles the risk. Use of oral contraceptives for more than 4 years before first pregnancy increases the risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Breast cancer association have been seen with high dietary fat intake ,obesity and alcohol consumption .previous breast surgery also increases the risk for cancer. there is no evidence linking use of the contraceptive pill to breast cancer

male breast cancer

male also get breast cancer .peak incidence are seen 10 year later than in women.it may occur in association with Klinefelter’s syndrome. Breast cancer symptoms in women and men are a little different.

Genetics of breast cancer

Almost 5% of women breast cancer is due to the inheritance of a mutated copy of either BRCA1 or BRCA2 .women who inherit a mutated copy of either gene have an increased lifetime risk of breast cancer .45 to 65 % develop breast cancer by the age of 70 year. Breast cancer risk is increased when a sister and mother also had the disease. Invasive ductal carcinoma with or without ductal carcinoma in situ is the most common reason ,accounting for 70% whilst invasive lobular carcinoma accounts for most of the remaining cases.

Diagnosis

breast cancer is usually diagnosed by biopsy of a nodule detected by mammogram or by palpitation. Women should be strongly encouraged to examine their breast monthly. Screening mammograms performed every other year beginning at age 50 years have been shown to save lives. Breast cancer is commoner in the left breast .around 50% arise in the upper outer quadrant.

Breast cancer symptoms

Most breast cancers present as a lump during routine physical examination or mammography. If we talk more about breast cancer symptoms –

during physical examination a lump is felt distinctly different from the surrounding breast tissue. More advanced breast cancers are characterized by fixation of the lump to the chest wall. Breast skin changes like dimpling ,puckering ,erythema are seen .additionally nipple changes like inversion ,discharge ,rash are seen. persistent breast tenderness or pain is observed. Worrying symptoms are ulceration ,aczema ,retraction of the skin or retraction of the nipple.

Management

surgery is the main curative treatment. in surgery lumpectomy where only the tumor is removed or mastectomy where whole breast is removed .the treatment of metastatic breast cancer is complex. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status is an important factor in determining treatment for breast cancer.in patient with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive breast cancer trastuzumab ,a humanized monoclonal antibody to  human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 may be used along with standard cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Breast cancer prevention 

women at increased risk of breast cancer can reduce their risk by 49 % by taking tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor for 5 years .women with BRCA 1 mutations can reduce the risk by 90% with simple mastectomy.