This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, a study published in the Radiology Journal shed light on the effectiveness of mammography in detecting breast cancer in men.
Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer diagnosed among women in Kenya, just as it is in most countries globally. However, most awareness campaigns and research on diagnosis and treatment focus on females, leaving men often 'forgotten' despite their risk of developing the disease.
Researchers from New York University (NYU) School of Medicine assessed 1,869 men aged between 18 and 96 who had undergone a mammogram test between 2005 and 2017. The study found that mammography was more effective at detecting cancer in high-risk men than in women at average risk of breast cancer.
Among the 271 men who had screening exams, five had breast cancer. All the people diagnosed with breast cancer underwent surgery to remove their tumour. The detection rate for men was 18 for every 1,000 exams, compared to roughly five for every 1,000 exams in women.
The researchers attribute this result in part to the lower amount of breast tissue in men. Having more tissue, which is common in women, can mask the detection of small tumours.
"Our findings show the potential of mammography in screening men at high risk for breast cancer and in detecting the disease well before it has spread to other parts of the body," said Dr Yiming Gao, the lead author of the study from the NYU School of Medicine, Perlmutter Cancer Centre.
Results of the study indicate that men at high risk of the disease can benefit from mammograms that will allow doctors to detect the cancer early, before symptoms develop. This will enhance treatment success and survival outcomes.
