One percent of breast cancer patients diagnosed this year in the United States will be men.

Dr. Eric Goldsmith is an oncology surgeon with Lee Memorial Health System. “I think the male breast cancer issue is an interesting one from several aspects. Number one, we almost totally ignore men because ‘we’re not going to get breast cancer’,” explains Dr. Goldsmith. He says that assumption is far from the truth. “It is a very serious disease because just as you said, nobody really thinks about the man. He doesn’t think about it and these patients generally come to treatment later than earlier and they’re at a little more of an advanced stage because it’s been ignored, not recognized, or thought to be something else,” he adds.

It appears men are taking notice. “Fortunately, we are in this day and age, everybody, men and women are more aware of their bodies, more aware of potential problems and we do see a lot of men coming in and asking about breast lumps,” says Dr. Goldsmith.

So, doctors suggest that men perform self-exams to reduce the risk. "A male should be doing self-examination. Everybody should be aware of their body completely. You know, stand in front of a mirror once a month. It may sound a little silly but you know what, get a good look at yourself, examine yourself, examine different areas, anything that doesn’t look for feel right, bring it to the attention of your doctor,” warns Dr. Goldsmith.

Because the male breast is much smaller than the female, there’s a higher risk that cancer could spread to the chest wall if not detected early.