Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 1/13/2010

Question
Hello Dr. Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, I greatly appreciate your help.

I am a 18-year-old male. Earlier this week. I felt a rather strange "tissue" in the tissue under my right nipple. There is no noticeable lump in the area. However, when I press on the area with my finger, I can feel a hard, small, tissue which feels like a small mass or tumor. Also, when I pressed on it, a felt slight pain in that area. I immediately went to look at it in the mirror. I noticed around the outside of my right and left nipples, there was a lighter brown color. The possible mass or tumor is approximately 2-4 mm in diameter, fairly small in side (smaller then a penny). I felt my left nipple, and there was not similar "mass" or "tumor" and that's when I became concerned.

Brief medical history: I have Acid Reflux Disease(GERD), and I went to see my physician to consult him about symptoms I was experiences which are similar to the symptoms described with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, or Accessory Pathway Tachycardia. My physician referred my to a Cardiologist for an ECG/EKG evaluation, however it's been 6 weeks since the evaluation and WPW hasn't' been diagnosed. To my knowledge, there is no history of breast cancer in my family, although my aunt recently passed away from metastases cancer in her brain. The origin of the cancer was unable to be determined (cancer spread to many organs; causing two large tumors in the brain, one small tumor in the Duodenum, and numerous small lesion on the left side of the brain.)

My question: Is the mysterious tissue directly under my nipple a concern? Could it be male breast cancer?"


Answer
Male breast cancer exists but is rare. There are hundreds of female breast cancer cases for each case of a male cancer. Besides at your age breast cancer - even in women - is EXTREMELY rare. So for both these reasons it is MOST unlikely that what you have felt has anything to do with cancer. Furthermore early (and 2-4 mm in size must be early) breast cancers are rarely associated with pain, soreness or tenderness. So I do not think it is a cancer. What you have felt is probably a small fibroadenoma which is not that uncommon in young men at your age and fits your description. However, for obvious reasons I can not examine you. So I think you should let a doctor check you to be on the safe side. Good luck!


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