Medical Questions » Breasts, Male Questions » Question No. 184
| Question: | I am a 72 year old man. My left nipple is enlarged and hard. What could this be? |
| Answer: | You should see a doctor about this immediately because it could be breast cancer. About 2% of all breast cancers occur in men, and almost invariably elderly men. Because it is an unexpected diagnosis, many men leave it too late to see a doctor, but if diagnosed early, it can be successfully treated using the same techniques that are applied to women.
As men age beyond 65 or 70 years, they go through a gradual menopause. As the male hormone levels drop, the low levels of female hormone that have always been present may take over, and fatty breasts may develop.
The other problem associated with nipples in younger men is ' joggers nipple' . In this, the nipple becomes sore, red, tender and thickened from the constant rubbing of a shirt on the nipple during jogging. A strategically placed band-aid often relieves the problem.
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