Delayed Or Misdiagnosed Breast Cancer May Be More Common In Men

April 23, 2013

Pink, usually thought of as a feminine color, has come to symbolize breast cancer awareness. Numerous awareness campaigns have involved pink ribbons to show support for women with the potentially deadly cancer. But breast cancer is not just a woman's disease.

Although breast cancer occurs more often in women, men can also develop the disease. Because it is far less common in men, neither a man with the disease nor his doctor may realize that a suspicious lump or other symptom could be breast cancer. As with any cancer, a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can be fatal.

Patients And Doctors May Ignore Symptoms

Each year in the United States, about 232,000 women develop cases of invasive breast cancer, while just 2,240 men develop it. The disease is so rare in men that Arizona's 2012 report on breast cancer in the state did not include men.

Unfortunately, the cases that men do get tend to be more advanced and harder to treat. An oncologist says that neither the patient nor the doctor may suspect breast cancer. Sometimes men may not see a doctor when they develop symptoms. Unfortunately, some doctors may not order biopsies or tests when men do come in.

In one case, a man ignored a lump behind the nipple of his right breast. He figured it was nothing serious. Later, he went to the doctor after noticing discharge on his T-shirt. His doctor immediately recommended a mammogram and biopsy, which showed cancer. With chemotherapy treatments, his tumor has stopped growing, and his next step is a mastectomy, radiation and five years of the drug tamoxifen, which prevents estrogen from encouraging breast cancer cells to grow. The man, 46, said he wishes he had gone to the doctor sooner.

In this man's case, his doctor immediately ordered diagnostic tests. But that doesn't always happen. In another case, a man asked a family physician about a retracted nipple. He was told not to worry. Six months later, a different family physician noticed the inverted nipple and ordered a mammogram. The result: breast cancer. The man was scheduled for surgery three days later.

Partly as the result of his misdiagnosis, the man now tries to raise awareness of male breast cancer. His favorite shirt, according to an online question-and-answer article, is pink.

Missed Or Delayed Diagnoses Can Be Fatal

Although men are more likely to suffer from a late diagnosis of breast cancer, a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of breast cancer can have a devastating effect on both men and women. The longer the disease goes unchecked, the more likely it is to spread and fewer treatment options may be available.

If you or a loved one has received a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney.

Article provided by Knapp & Roberts
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