Male vs Female

Male Breast Cancer vs Female Breast Cancer

Although thought to be very different and distinct, male breast cancer and female breast cancer are for the most part the same cancer.  Female breast cancer is more common, however, because women have more breast cells which are exposed continuously to female growth hormones.  It had been thought that the prognosis for male breast cancer was worse than for female breast cancer; nevertheless, men and women who have the same stage of cancer are most likely going to have the same survival rate (American Cancer Society).  Variables that control these similarities and make male and female breast cancer different are: breast size, awareness, expression of steroid hormone receptors, molecular markers, and genetics.  Males also generally have larger tumors and more frequent lymph node involvement (Southern Medical Journal).  Males who are unable to detect breast cancer earlier will more then likely have a lesser chance of survival (Mayo Clinic).  The average age of detection for males is between 60-70 years old, whereas in women the average is between 40 and 60 (Medline Plus).  Survival rates between males and females based on stage alone are generally about the same; however, when you look at the 5-year survival rates as a whole, males have a 30%- 85% survival rate, whereas females have a 16%-98% survival rate (Geriatrics).  The staging system for both males and females is the same, which shows that males, if detected earlier, would be able to have the same survival rate as females (UVA Health).