Breast cancer there’s men: Robert, inherited probably from his mother
Usually breast cancer in men is more dangerous than in women – it is often detected too late. For the treatment not only the Operation, but also an Anti-estrogen treatment with side effects. Robert Glattau has experienced it in his own body and tells of his experiences.
- In the case of a node in the chest immediately to the gynecologist to go – this also applies to men.
- After the breast cancer surgery Affected need to swallow for years, anti-estrogens – hot flushes and loss of libido are the side effects.
- Breast cancer in men is rare but especially tragic, because many Doctors do not recognize that the node in the breast is cancer and the treatment comes too late.
As he turns around in bed in the morning and on his right breast is driving, he feels a round-a-centimeter node. Robert Glattau, 54 years old, decides, for the first time in a week to be seen. However, the node does not disappear and Glattau goes to the doctor, and more specifically to the gynecologist and his partner. Any problems, as a man sitting in the waiting room of a women’s doctor, he didn’t – he’s Worried about his health. 
Eva Eckmayr Robert Glattau was 54 years old when he had a knot in his chest discovered. Because he immediately went to the gynecologist, was diagnosed with the cancer quickly and the former Hotelier survived.
Nodes in the breast fat accumulation, or cancer?
A correct decision, as it turns out. Because of the gynecologist, as a specialist as well as for breast changes in men responsible an ultrasound and arranged immediately for a biopsy, which confirmed the suspicion on a malignant tumour. So lapse of time between the first Symptom and the diagnosis is hardly enough.
“I know of Concerned, in which the first consulted doctor has not detected the cancer, and they remained so for months if left untreated,” reports Robert Glattau. In the process, valuable time is lost, during the spread of the cancer unchallenged – until a cancer therapy may be too late.
Because of his disease Glattau of the self-help group’s “network of men with breast cancer”. As a point of contact for Austria, he knows a lot of fates.
The Wait for the finding was particularly burdensome
But back to his personal experiences. As in the case of the former Hotelier after a few days, is that it is breast cancer, followed by further investigations. Now, it is important to determine which lymph nodes are also affected and whether the Tumor has already spread. Found out with a computer tomography. “The six days between diagnosis and this study, the worst in my life,” he recalls today. Because ten years earlier his mother had died abdomen cancer that was detected too late and therefore many of the metastases had formed.
No metastasis, surgery plus chemotherapy are necessary
After the CT Robert Glattau can breathe a sigh of relief: There are no metastases and the lymph nodes are free up to the guard node that is easily attacked. In surgery, the right breast and the sentinel lymph node will be removed. “It was no big deal, a week in the hospital, a ten-to 12-centimeter-long scar,” he sums up. However, Chemo and radiation therapy – the same therapy plan as in women with breast cancer. The treatments are performed on an outpatient basis and last for a total of nine months.
Male breast cancer – Estrogens play an important role
Past is everything. A multi-year Anti-estrogen therapy starts in the port. Why is it needed? Men also have female hormones, although in lower quantity than women. Estrogens can stimulate breast cancer to Grow, when its cells have hormone receptors (hormone-receptor status positive) – what was Robert Glattau the case.
Anti-estrogen therapy in men side effects
Monthly injections over three years and five years and a day, one tablet belonged to Tamoxifen afterwards to his Anti-hormone therapy. “Splash, I must take now to September, the tablets,” says the Patient. Then it should be even with the side effects of over – sweating and loss of libido.
The Libido is returning slowly
How’s that for him and his partner? “When I see an attractive woman, I think to myself, ‘before, I’ve found that worrying, but now is nothing there, just more memory”, he explains the feeling. His new partner, with whom he has lived for two and a half years together, accepted the. “Sex is diverse,” he says, and notes that since the Discontinuation of the injections, the Libido is increased from 0 to 35 percent. “I’m excited to see how this is, if I am now as before treatment, we will understand.”
Hereditary breast cancer in men
With joy in the future, without fear of a relapse, Robert Glattau with great safety. Because in the fall of 2016, he had his left breast removed. At the time, he had to investigate whether the Tumor was hereditary. It turned out that it was a similar hormone-dependent cancer, such as in the case of his mother. Thus, the risk that malignant tissue could grow in the remaining breast stock.
In the case of these four symptoms every man should go to the doctor
For Robert Glattau everything seems to be over. Nevertheless, male breast cancer remains for him a concern and he joined the self-help group, to be able to other men to help. Because this type of cancer is only about 600 Neudiagnose per year in Germany and just under 60 in Austria, so rare, overlooked even Doctors often the signs. “I advise every man is urged to go immediately to the gynecologist, if he even noticed one of these four signs,” says former cancer patient:
Not afraid of the Chemo
Another big concern is for him to take the other Concerned the fear of chemotherapy. “Each person reacts differently to the Chemo,” he says, and it is also on the personal attitude: to see The treatment as an opportunity, and a life-saver, and not as a bad chemical. In addition, you can get breast cancer, only about every three weeks Chemo, the side effects can disappear after a few days. When a man considers this, probably easier with the treatment, and accepts his fate.
More information at network, men with breast cancer