Embarassment may prevent men from getting breast cancer diagnosis

http://www.insidetoronto.com/article/58112
10/27/2008

October is breast cancer awareness month, a disease normally viewed as being only suffered by women.
But while it's considerably less common, men can, and do, suffer from breast cancer as well.

"It's almost a misunderstanding that men cannot get breast cancer," says Dr. Wey Leong, a surgical oncologist at Princess Margaret Hospital, who specializes in breast cancer treatment.

"And it's not common if you compare it to other breast cancers. We basically have to see 100 women to see one male (case)."

Unlike prostate and testicular cancers which area viewed as "more of a man thing", Dr. Leong says when it comes to breast cancer, men are less likely to see a doctor because they're too embarrassed to talk about it.