Breast cancer awareness month is, to me, an oxymoron. We need to be aware of breast cancer every month.

Most the information the media delivers about breast cancer is dedicated to women. Few women, and fewer men, know that men are also at risk for breast cancer. That is why most men (and their families) are stunned when they receive a breast cancer diagnosis. Admittedly, the annual number of new cases of male breast cancer is only a fraction of those for women. However, a higher percentage of men die from the disease - probably because their cancer isn't discovered until it is in a later (and more difficult to arrest) stage than when most women are diagnosed.

Marisa Weiss, M. D., a breast cancer oncologist, author of LIVING BEYOND BREAST CANCER and founder of http://www.breastcancer.org gave me a short course about this life killer I hope all my readers will take to heart.

Men usually discover they have breast cancer when they accidentally palpate a painless lump, usually near the nipple, where most male breast tissue is located. Others may simply see a change in their breast or chest area, such as a rash, a thickening, or a painful area. Some develop a discharge from their nipple.

Once diagnosed, treatment is the same as it is for women. It includes chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery. The prospect of breast removal (mastectomy) in men is not as psychologically charged as it is in women whose breasts are intimately tied to their sexuality. That's why this course of action, sometimes followed by radiation (to eliminate any close-by cancer cells or other factors, and reduce the risk of recurrence) is the norm for men, rather than lumpectomy and radiation, the alternatives preferred by women. And, since men tend to present with larger cancers than women, mastectomy is more often medically necessary as well.

After researchers became aware of multiple cases of breast cancer within a single family, it was discovered that cancer risk is elevated in women and men who carry the abnormal BRCA2 breast cancer gene. Men with this gene mutation are also at a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer. The good news is that genetic testing, available through family risk assessment programs, can heighten surveillance for early detection which can reduce death from cancer.

Some time ago the American Medical Association published a study that regardless of occupation, age, race, socioeconomic status men don't go to the doctor because of fear, denial, embarrassment, and threatened masculinity. Men and women who ignore things they shouldn't ignore often suffer unnecessary consequences. If you notice lumps, leaks or any other changes in breast tissue call your doctor. It can save your life.

With thanks to Marisa Weiss, M. D., http://www.breastcancer.org