Dr. Borgen on Common Symptoms of Male Breast Cancer

Patrick Borgen, MD, chair and surgery director of the Breast Cancer Program at Maimonides Medical Center, discusses common symptoms of breast cancer in male patients.

One of the key questions in male breast cancer is what symptoms men should look for, according to Borgen. The most common symptom is bloody nipple discharge in the absence of trauma, which results in a male breast cancer diagnosis most of the time, Borgen says. 

Additionally, a painless mass directly below the nipple is indicative of male breast cancer, Borgen adds. In women, the terminal duct lobular units are distributed throughout the global surface of the breast. Conversely, vestigial duct tissue in men are located only behind the nipple; this is the area men should be checking for masses, Borgen concludes.