A person within the U.K. who was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer says the treatment drugs gave him menopause-like symptoms, including hot flushes and severe dizzy spells.

Mark Nock, a former nurse from Birmingham, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. He noticed a lump on his chest when a colleague by chance spilled water on his uniform.

“The moment I felt that lump I knew what it was, I am unable to explain it, I just knew. My lump was obvious, I could feel it through the thick tunic, and it felt like a thick rubber polo mint,” the 61-year-old man said.

He then underwent a full mastectomy that involves surgical removal of the breast, including the nipple, areola and the skin over the breast. After the procedure, medics prescribed him hormone therapy to assist stop estrogen from binding to the breast cancer cells.

“The sort of breast cancer I had is estrogen positive. A variety of people think estrogen is a women’s hormone and testosterone is male but everyone has each. The treatment is similar in men and girls, requiring a full mastectomy and the identical medication,” Nock said.

Nonetheless, the therapy drugs gave him menopause-like symptoms, including hot flushes, severe dizzy spells and morning sickness. He eventually took early retirement because the symptoms got worse.

“Breast cancer could be very rare in men – the treatments are the identical, and I used to be prescribed Tamoxifen. These drugs have barely been tested on men and are designed for ladies’s hormone balance, so I used to be a little bit of a lab rat,” Nock said, reported Wales Online.

Five years after the dreadful diagnosis, Nock is now cancer free. He now raises awareness and encourages each men and girls to get checked for breast cancer.

Male breast cancer

Although breast cancer is more often present in women, men can also develop the disease. It’s estimated that one out of each 100 breast cancer cases reported within the U.S. is present in a person. Male breast cancer is more common in older men, although it may occur at any age.

Who’s susceptible to getting it?

• Men under the age of 35 are less prone to develop breast cancer. The chance goes up with the age. It is frequently seen in men between the ages of 60 and 70.
• Men who’re obese are at higher risk.
• The chance is high if there may be a family history of breast cancer.
• Men who’ve enlarged breasts or gynecomastia are at a better risk of developing breast cancer. Gynecomastia occurs because of aging, hormone treatments, certain medications and infections.
• The chance is high if an individual has a history of radiation exposure to the chest.
• Certain diseases or injuries that affect testicles can increase the chances of breast cancer in males.
• Individuals with rare genetic conditions like Klinefelter syndrome are at higher risk. Klinefelter syndrome occurs when an individual has an additional X chromosome, which ends up in higher levels of estrogen within the body.

Early signs to look at out for

The symptoms are similar in men and girls.

1. A lump or thickening within the breast or the underarm area

2. Changes in the scale or shape of the breast

3. Changes to the breast skin, including signs of dimpling, puckering, redness, or scaling

4. Changes to the nipple akin to redness, scaling and nipple turning inward

5. Nipple discharge

6. Pain within the nipple area

Treatment

The treatment for male breast cancer relies on the scale of the tumor and the extent of the spread. It includes surgical removal of the breast, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy.

It’s estimated that 1 out of each 100 breast cancer cases reported within the U.S. is present in a person.
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