Can gynecomastia be mistaken for breast cancer?

Regardless, the signs of gynecomastia – lump, hardened or thickened tissue, or pain around the nipple – are similar to male breast cancer symptoms. They deserve your attention and should be evaluated by your doctor.

Is gynecomastia related to male breast cancer?

Answer: Gynecomastia — enlarged male breast tissue — may slightly increase your risk of breast cancer. But even with gynecomastia, your risk of developing male breast cancer is very small. In most cases, gynecomastia resolves on its own with minimal treatment and little risk of long-term complications.

How can you tell the difference between gynecomastia and cancer?

One of the biggest differentiating factors between a male with breast cancer and a male with gynecomastia is symmetry. For instance, men who have gynecomastia almost always exhibit swelling in both of their breasts. Whereas men who have breast cancer, typically only find a lump or swelling in one of their breasts.

Is gynecomastia a symptom of cancer?

Although gynecomastia is much more common than breast cancer in men, both can be felt as a growth under the nipple, which is why it’s important to have any such lumps checked by your doctor. Gynecomastia is common among teenage boys because the balance of hormones in the body changes during adolescence.

Does gynecomastia mean cancer?

Gynecomastia is not necessarily a sign of cancer, but your doctor may run some tests to rule it out. Swelling of the breasts may happen unevenly, with one becoming larger than the other. You may also have breast tenderness.

Is gynecomastia a type of cancer?

Gynaecomastia is the enlargement of male breast tissue. It’s a common, benign (not cancer) condition that mainly affects teenage boys and older men, but it can affect men at any age.

How does breast cancer in men look like?

A painless lump or thickening in your breast tissue. Changes to the skin covering your breast, such as dimpling, puckering, redness or scaling. Changes to your nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.

How do you confirm gynecomastia?

Pain or tenderness, which may increase over time and swelling are just two possible telltale signs of gynecomastia. To the touch, it feels like a rubbery lump under the nipple affecting one or both. Indicative appearance includes a resemblance to that of a woman’s breasts.

What percentage of men get breast cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society: Breast cancer in men is rare — less than 1 percent of all breast cancer occurs in men. About 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in men in the U.S in 2015. Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women.

How can a man tell if he has breast cancer?

Signs and symptoms of male breast cancer can include: A painless lump or thickening in your breast tissue. Changes to the skin covering your breast, such as dimpling, puckering, redness or scaling. Changes to your nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.

What is the difference between gynecomastia and breast cancer?

Differences Between Gynecomastia and Breast Cancer. People often confuse disorders of the breast tissue especially because they seem to be non-existent in males. However, the truth is that gynecomastia is a disorder that exists solely in males! Gynecomastia is a condition where there is harmless growth of male breast tissue.

What are the symptoms of gynecomastia in men?

Symptoms of gynecomastia are swollen breasts in men, on one or both sides, with or without tenderness. It is commonly associated with increase in the overall chest tissue. Pain and discharge are uncommon unless associated with more severe medical problems. Breast cancer presents in multiple manners.

Can gynecomastia be diagnosed with a mammogram?

A mammogram is routinely ordered to confirm or rule out the diagnosis of breast cancer. If the mammogram is not conclusive, then a fine needle aspiration might be done where a small sample of the breast tissue is taken using a needle and analyzed under a microscope for cancerous pattern. Treatment for gynecomastia depends on the cause.

How common is breast cancer in males?

It is fairly common in guys during puberty and in new-borns of both sexes. The condition usually resolves within first few days in neonates and in 2 years for most adolescent males. Breast cancer, on the other hand, is a serious disease that involves malignant transformation of the breast tissue, in both males and females.