Check your Pecs!
Check your Pecs is an organisation committed to raising awareness, giving practical advice and providing a monthly reminder for you to Check Your Pecs.
It's free to sign up and we'll send you a slight nudge every month to remind
you to Check Your Pecs!
It doesn't take long and it's only 12 times each year!
How to check yourself
- Check your pecs in front of a mirror for any symptoms or abnormalities.
- Examine the nipple, most men find their lumps under the nipple.
- In a sitting or standing position, use the pads of the three middle fingers - examine using light, medium and deep pressure.
- Examining starts at the collarbone and continues down and up the entire breast in a vertical pattern.
- Lie on your back in a bed which leads to a more even distribution of your breast tissue. Repeat step 3 and 4.
How often
If you have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you may want to
check your pecs as
regularly
as once a month.
Stick to a schedule and peform the check on the same day each month. We
can
help remind
you by signing up to our reminder service.
Every month we'll send you a gentle reminder to
check
yourself so you'll never forget.
Symptoms
Symptoms of male breast cancer commonly include:
- A lump in the breast
- The nipple becoming hard, red or swollen
- The nipple turning inwards
- Fluid from the nipple
- Small bumps in the armpit
- A sore or rash around the nipple
Risk Factors
The risk of breast cancer increases as you age. Male breast cancer is most often
diagnosed in men in their 60s.
If you take estrogen-related drugs, such as those used for hormone therapy for
prostate cancer, your risk of breast cancer is increased.
If you have a close family member with breast cancer, you have a
greater chance of developing the disease.
Certain conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver, can reduce male hormones and
increase female hormones, increasing your risk of breast cancer.
Obesity is associated with higher levels of estrogen in the body, which increases the risk
of male breast cancer.
Testicle disease or surgery. Having inflamed testicles (orchitis) or surgery to remove a testicle
(orchiectomy) can increase your risk of male breast cancer.
Prevention
Nobody can say for sure the exact cause of breast cancer in men so prevention methods are hard to
say.
What we do know is that higher levels of estrogen (or oestrogen) increase your risk,
so preventing those higher levels is something we can do.
Common causes of estrogen include Obesity, Stress and Cirrhosis of the liver, so losing
weight, not
drinking too much alcohol and eating a balanced diet may help to prevent male breast cancer.
Why it's important
Checking your Pecs regularly is vital so that you understand the normal look and feel of them. You'll more easily be able to identify any abnormalities and catch the changes as soon as possible.
It is believed that breast cancer is only for women, because men do not have breast
like
women, but they certainly have breast tissue.
Therefore they can also have breast cancer.
Although breast cancer is a rare disease in men
and
it is a percentage of all types of breast cancers.
Its diagnosis is significantly less compared to women.
What you should do if you find something
See your doctor if you're worried about a breast lump or any other symptom.
It's unlikely
you
have cancer
but it's always best to get checked.
See Resources for further reading and support.