Male Breast Cancer

Breast cancer may occur in men. Although it is relatively rare – less than 1 percent of breast cancer diagnoses in the United States are in males – men may develop the disease at any age. It is, however, usually detected in men between 60 and 70 years of age.

Radiation exposure, high levels of estrogen, and a family history of breast cancer are risk factors for male breast cancer. In particular, men with a mutation of the BRCA2 gene are at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Approximately 2,790 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 and about 530 will die from the disease, the National Cancer Institute has estimated.

Learn more about breast cancer in women here.

Male Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)

Source: National Cancer Institute