My Name is Adam, and I Have Breast Cancer

I’m running for my mom.
I’m running for my wife.
I’m running for my sister.
I’m running for my best friend.
I’m running for my grandma.

On June 7th, 2008, thousands of people, men and women, will participate in the National Race for the Cure to raise money to combat breast cancer. Breast cancer in women.

When asked by people who they’re running for, we’ll hear the answers listed above. For once I’d like to hear someone say they’re running for their big brother, for their neighbor’s father, for their uncle or grandpa.

Men get breast cancer too.

I’m not surprised this is overlooked. The symbol for breast cancer awareness is a "passionately pink for the cure" pink ribbon. Nothing is really wrong with a pink ribbon—just like nothing would really be wrong with using a football or a cold bottle of beer as the national icon for prostate cancer awareness. Any symbol can be used to raise awareness of any problem. However, no matter how much we like to pretend we’re above gender stereotypes, we all know the ribbon is pink because breast cancer is a girl thing.

For the most part, that’s true but, let me say it again.

Men get breast cancer too.

Approximately 1% of breast cancer occurrences are in men. That’s 1 out 100. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but let’s look at the bigger picture. An estimate 1,990 males will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S. alone. By the end of this year, approximately 450 males in the United States will die as a result of this "girly" disease.

Risk factors in men are similar to those in women—age, family history (men and women), elevated estrogen levels, and lifestyle factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, and alcohol use.

The survival rates seem to be about the same between men and women with this disease. And, just like in women, the survival rate seems to depend on what stage the cancer is in when discovered.

Just like with women, a man’s best chance of surviving breast cancer is through early detection. Maybe most men don’t have huge sacks of fatty tissue hanging from their chests like water balloons, but they can still become familiar with their own breast tissue so they can bring up changes in it (lumps, etc.) to their doctor’s attention. This may come as a shock to you, but men can get mammograms and perform self-examinations too. In fact, it’s recommended if they have a family history of breast cancer.

Like I stated before, the survival rates of breast cancer in men are similar to those in women, and they are higher if the cancer is detected early. Unfortunately, with men, the cancer is usually found in a later stage, decreasing the chance of survival. This just might be because of a lack of awareness of breast cancer. In men, that is. Thanks to that pink ribbon, I think we’re all aware of breast cancer in women.

But men get breast cancer too.