Citation: Supportive Care in Cancer. 2013, 21, S69
Author: Pritchard M.J.
Abstract: Breast cancer is considered by the general public as a women's illness. In 2008 some 1.38 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer that's nearly a quarter of all female cancer cases. As health professionals our role is to offer hope and support to both the patient and their family members as they undergo cancer treatment. So when we talk about breast cancer we inevitably talk about women's breast cancer. Issues of gender appear not to be at the forefront of the health professionals mind. Consequently we as health professionals have devoted both time and energy to develop sophisticated support systems to aid the patient's physical and emotional well being. Speciality clinics, access to breast care nurses and of course the option to undergo re-constructive surgery. However what happens to this support mechanism when the patient's gender short circuits this network? What if the cancer suffer is a man? Where does a male breast cancer patient go for support and treatment?. Male breast cancer makes up only 1 % of the total number of
breast cancers worldwide. In the United Kingdom approximately 300 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The aim of this paper is to raise the profile of this particular group of patients who have been diagnosed with this disease.
