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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Diagnosing male breast cancer
If breast cancer is suspected, your doctor may conduct a number of diagnostic tests and procedures such as:
- Clinical breast exam. During this exam, your doctor uses his or her fingertips to examine your breasts for lumps or other changes. Your doctor assesses how large the lumps are, how they feel, and how close they are to your skin and muscles. Your doctor will also examine the rest of your body for signs that the cancer has spread, such as feeling for an enlarged liver or enlarged lymph nodes.
- Mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of your breast tissue. To assess your breast tissue, your breast will be pressed flat as much as possible. During a mammogram, you stand in front of a machine with your shirt off. Two flat plastic plates come together to compress your breast tissue. A radiology technician takes the X-rays. The compression of the mammogram can be uncomfortable. Ask the technician what to expect and speak up if you're feeling pain.
- Breast ultrasound. Your doctor may recommend an ultrasound of your breast to evaluate an abnormality seen on a mammogram or found during a clinical exam. Ultrasound uses sound waves to form images of structures within the body.
- Testing nipple discharge for cancer cells. Your doctor may collect nipple discharge if you're experiencing it. The discharge is then examined using a microscope to look for cancerous cells.
- Using a needle to remove cells for testing. A biopsy procedure involves removing a sample of suspicious tissue for laboratory testing. A breast biopsy is commonly done by inserting a needle into the breast lump and drawing cells or tissue from the area. When analyzed in a laboratory, your tissue sample reveals whether you have breast cancer and, if so, what type of breast cancer you have.
Determining the extent of the cancer
If you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor will work to determine the extent (stage) of your cancer. Your cancer's stage helps your doctor determine treatment options. Staging tests include blood tests and imaging tests, such as X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The stages of male breast cancer are:
- Stage I. The tumor is no more than 2 centimeters (cm) in diameter (3/4 inch) and hasn't spread to the lymph nodes.
- Stage II. The tumor may be up to 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes. Or the tumor may be larger than 5 cm and no cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes.
- Stage III. The tumor may be larger than 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter and may involve several nearby lymph nodes. Lymph nodes above the collarbone may also contain cancer cells.
- Stage IV. Cancer at this stage has spread beyond the breast to distant areas, such as the bone, brain, liver or lungs.
- Male breast cancer treatment (PDQ) patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malebreast/patient/allpages/print. Accessed Nov. 30, 2009.
- Contractor KB, et al. Male breast cancer: Is the scenario changing. World Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2008;6:58.
- Breast cancer in men. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_7x_CRC_Male_Breast_Cancer_PDF.asp. Accessed Nov. 30, 2009.
- Mammography. Radiology Info. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=mammo. Accessed Dec. 11, 2009.
- Brain K, et al. Psychological distress in men with breast cancer. American Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2006;24:95.
- Distress management. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/distress.pdf. Accessed Dec. 11, 2009.
- FDA commissioner removes breast cancer indication from Avastin label. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/ucm279485.htm. Accessed Nov. 18, 2011.
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