Proof that it's ime for pink charities to work harder for men

Traveltext

Just Published in:
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: CANCER FACTS AND FIGURES 2017

"Breast cancers in men are more likely than those in women to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, in part because men are not screened for breast cancer and because of lack of awareness. Breast cancer survival in males and females is similar for each stage at diagnosis. However, because men are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease, the overall 5-year survival in men is 84%, compared to 90% in women".

With survival rates 6% below that for women, and awareness levels that men get this disease running at around 30% compared to 100% for women, isn't it time for the pink charities to do more than give token acknowledgement to our plight.

Trishyla

In a word, yes.

Trish

LilacBlue

In the UK it's estimated that men have a 1 in 870 lifetime chance of getting breast cancer. Although this figure is much lower than the corresponding figure for women who have a 1 in 8 chance over their lifetime. I agree, we should not neglect male breast cancer and try to do whatever is possible to reduce its incidence.

Traveltext

That's right LilacBlue, we are one in 100 of the new cases of bc. But that's about the same rate as that of women under 30 diagnosed with this disease.

And BRCA males like me have about a one in 8 chance of developing the disease, yet there's no regular screening program for us to join.

We literally exist on the periphery of this disease.

LilacBlue

Yes, male breast cancer is on the periphery, no denial of that, yet is slowly becoming more visible at least here online on UK breast cancer charities and research sites. An excellent point regarding screening and one that needs to be looked into and changed - to include men.

In England the NHS states, that If you think you may have an increased risk of breast cancer because you have a family history of breast cancer (female or male), your GP can refer you to a hospital high-risk clinic. The clinic may refer you for genetic testing, if they feel it is appropriate - hence, must be pro-active to be screened.

MinusTwo

Right on!!

wallycat

When science focuses on men's stuff, they usually get more done, so I am all for finding the cure, regardless of how they go about it and who they focus on. BEAT CANCER --no color necessary!

Traveltext

Brilliant comment wallycat. I can just see the headlines: We must redouble our efforts to find a cure for breast cancer, since men get it too!

Unfortunately, pink charities mostly keep men out of their publicity material since it interferes with their fundraising efforts that have long been based on the disease being women only. So, we get a lot of sexualized imagery which just works against men thinking this is a disease they can get. This leads to the findings at the head of this post, which summarises as: later diagnosis equals poorer prognosis.

I alsolike your BEAT CANCER no color necessary, to which could be added or gender.

wallycat

I was not thinking "since men get it" but rather "because men get it"....the fact that women have been getting it for eons doesn't seem to motivate science much. Maybe a different spin on it would get the job done (of course, all said in jest; everyone's health matters and it is hard enough to get men to a doctor when they are healthy...I can imagine how hard it is when they're actually concerned about a condition. Kudos to you for listening to your body!)

Traveltext

"...it is hard enough to get men to a doctor when they are healthy..." Definitely a big part of the problem!

Traveltext

Also, men generally don't talk about their conditions and diseases. In the US, alone, there are around 2,500 men diagnosed annually with breast cancer and virtually none of them post on BCO.

cliff

there is a bit going on, check out the male breast cancer alliance, and men have breasts too. they are at least trying.to spread the word.

Traveltext

Cliff, there are no men's bc groups with a forum where men can discuss their situations. BCO is good, since it's open to all.

MinusTwo

And we certainly do welcome you guys. You add a valuable dimension to the mix.

Fiddleman

How about "Breast Cancer! It's not just for women anymore?"

Beatmon

That works! I wonder how many men have had their breasts checked when they see their docs. I bet very few. And men probably do not go to the Dr. As often as they do not have the same "plumbing" as women which require more visits for birth control, childbearing etc.

Probably a push for Pcp / gp to include in men's physicals forearlier diagnosis.

Fiddleman

Beatmon, glad you like! It worked for Florida OJ assoc. Interesting thought about the "plumbing". I guess that does require a little more medical attention in males than females. However we do have prostates, though men traditionally do not "love the finger". I'm not a hypochondriac, but my grandfather died of ignoring what obviously lung cancer until it was way too late. I am one of the lucky males that isn't afraid to take his machine (body) into the mechanic (doctor) when there appears to be an issue (illness) or for a scheduled tuneup (physical exam). Too bad we can't get males to think of medical care in that context, eh? At any rate thanks to guys like Traveltext, we are starting to make an impact. Ride the blue wave!