Biologically, both men and women are born with a small amount of breast tissue. It’s only during puberty that females begin developing more breast tissue, unlike their male counterparts. 

By Jisha Krishnan

The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines critical thinking as “the process of analysing information in order to make a logical decision about the extent to which you believe something to be true or false”. Here’s a short video that qualifies as a good case in point. 

Can men get breast cancer? Yes, breast cancer does occur in men – albeit it’s not as common as in the case of women. Biologically, both men and women are born with a small amount of breast tissue. It’s only during puberty that females begin developing more breast tissue, unlike their male counterparts. 

Like all cancers, breast cancer starts with cells growing out of control and then forming a tumour. If the tumour is malignant, the cells invade surrounding tissues or metastasise to other parts of the body. The key, in all such cases, is to diagnose the cancer at an early stage to ensure a good chance of cure. 

However, that can be a tall order, particularly in the case of breast cancer in men. If we continue to think of breast cancer as a “woman’s disease”, there’s every chance of missing the early signs and symptoms in men. For instance, the lump or thickening in breast tissue, or changes in the skin covering the breast.

It takes critical thinking to understand the risk of male breast cancer. If you have a family history of the disease, or other risk factors, it’s advisable to proactively consult a doctor.