Mammograms and Men: When Breast Cancer becomes a Reality

Most men don't think they can get breast cancer. Yet each year, an estimated 1,300 males will be diagnosed with it and some 400 will die. The diagnosis usually comes as a shock. "Breast cancer is the last thing they are thinking about," says Sharon Giordano, M.D., an epidemiologist at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She has conducted the largest study of breast cancer in men. Even physicians and nurses who treat breast cancer expect the patient to be a woman. "They're always called Mrs. Jones when they're sitting in the waiting room," says Giordano. Male breast cancer is rare, accounting for only about 1 percent of cases each year. But men tend to have larger tumors and more serious cases than women even though male cancer is more easily detected. Researchers don't know if that's because male breast cancer is more aggressive or because men simply go to the doctor later than women. Join us and special guest Denise Roberts as we discuss how breast cancer affects men, why mammograms are so important and what some health professionals are saying about this examination. Tune in to TruthbetoldbyHim Radio as we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness for the entire month of October.