Hasan Güngör, a women's hairdresser living in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, started to feel itching in his right breast a while ago. Güngör, who noticed stiffness afterwards, went to his family doctor and explained the situation. Thereupon, Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Güngör, who was referred to Arda Işık, immediately went to the hospital. Here Prof. Dr. Detailed examinations were requested by Arda Işık and his team. An approximately 1 cm mass was detected just behind the nipple. After a multidisciplinary evaluation, the decision for surgery was made. Güngör, whose treatment continued after the successful operation on October 8, talked about his experiences.
Güngör said that he was surprised after the diagnosis of breast cancer and stated that people should pay attention to the symptoms. Prof. Dr. Arda Işık stated that approximately 1 in every 100 breast cancer cases is male and gave information about the treatment of his patient. Işık talked about the treatment processes while drawing attention to the vital role of early diagnosis.
"I WAS SURPRISED, IF BREAST CANCER HAPPENS IN MEN"
Starting his speech by saying, "I first had an itch in the right breast," Güngör said, "I didn't take it seriously at first. After 1-2 months, an erection and mass started to form there, as happens in men's puberty. When I noticed it, I decided to have an examination, as they say, 'Don't be late in diagnosis, early diagnosis is very important.' A biopsy, etc. was performed, and I became very healthy within 20 days. I was surprised when they said breast cancer. It's something I haven't heard about whether men can get breast cancer. This is something I haven't heard of. "They can't detect it, we don't take it seriously when it happens, we say it will go away anyway, but it is not the case. The earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat it. I am a female hairdresser and I couldn't get it diagnosed myself. People are a little hesitant to say that it will not happen to men, so they ask, 'Oh, can it happen to men?' When there is any hardness or firmness in their breasts, they should make an appointment with their doctor and have it checked," he said.
"MEN MAY HAVE A WRONG THOUGHT: 'I HAVE NO BREAST TISSUE, I HAVE NO POSSIBILITY OF CANCER'"
Providing information about breast cancer, Prof. Dr. Işık said, "There is 1 breast cancer in men compared to 1 in every 100 women. It is rare in men, but when it is seen, it can be seen in the late stages because the possibility of neglect is slightly higher in men. A wrong thought may occur in men, saying 'I do not have breast tissue, there is no possibility of getting cancer'. It can cause it to be diagnosed in late stages. Male breast cancer is almost the same as the symptoms of breast cancer in women. What are it? It can be seen as a mass behind the nipple. Redness in the breast, breast Bleeding on the head, scaly rash, and the presence of a palpable lump in the armpit. We first perform a clinical examination of our patients. If necessary, we reach the diagnosis by performing a thick needle biopsy. In patients diagnosed at an early stage, we usually use other treatment agents such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Screening for breast cancer is not performed in men, but a screening program is applied for men. If there is a family history of breast cancer or a known genetic risk factor. "There are also male screening programs," he said.
"IT WAS LUCKY, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AT THE EARLY STAGE"
"Hasan Bey applied with the complaint of a palpable mass in the breast about 2 months ago," said Işık, "We detected a mass in the breast on ultrasound and had a biopsy. We encountered a hormone-sensitive breast tumor. He was very lucky because it was diagnosed at an early stage. It was only a tumor localized in the breast, there was no distant metastasis. After a multidisciplinary evaluation, we took him into surgery. We completed the surgery successfully, and he is currently being followed up with hormone therapy. If there is breast cancer in the family, these women also have it. "It also increases the risk in men, especially in first-degree relatives. If they have breast cancer, the incidence of breast cancer increases by an average of 2 times in men. If there is a genetic risk in the family, especially if there is a positivity in the BRCA (Breast Cancer Susceptibility) genes, the risk increases significantly. Especially in men, the positivity of the BRCA-2 gene significantly increases the risk of breast cancer."
"SELF-EXAMINATION AND SCREENING PROGRAMS ARE IMPORTANT"
Speaking about Angelina Jolie's life, Işık continued as follows:
"In an emotional letter she wrote to Times Magazine in 2013, Angelina Jolie stated that her mother had breast cancer and that she was a carrier of the BRCA gene. She also stated that she had an operation called protective masectomy by emptying the inside of her breasts in order to avoid breast cancer in the future. We regulate the treatment on a patient-by-patient basis, we do not recommend a treatment through social media. It is not a healthy thing and does not have good results for the patient's future. One in every 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime, and one in every 4 women will get cancer. One of them is breast cancer. A palpable mass is not always cancer, it is a condition that must be evaluated. We expect our women to examine themselves, especially from the age of 20, and to participate in screening programs by applying to KETEMs and health institutions every 2 years from the age of 40.
