Breast cancer has been in the news again and I thought it was time that I did a blog about breasts. It’s not just women who get breast cancer so as our bodies are pretty similar in design, let’s take the gender out of breasts and see what lies beneath that goes a bit awry.
What are boobs?
Men as well as women have breast tissue – it lies on top of the chest muscles (pectorals), between the skin and adipose (fatty) tissue. The anatomical name for them are mammae. Mammary glands are actually modified sweat glans which secrete milk.
Breasts also contain many lymph glands which, as we know from my lymph post a little while ago, run within the same network as veins and arteries – so not surprisingly there are plenty of little blood vessels in there too.
What are they for?
Silly question – but lets just get it out there. They are designed purely for the production and supply of breast milk for babies. So why do men have breasts you ask?.. it’s all about chromosomes. Sex cells have half of the chromosomes needed and when a sperm and egg come together, that makes the whole amount of chromosomes required to make a person. Whilst nature is a hugely wonderful thing, it’s not quite good enough to determine what sex the person will be until the chromosomes get together. To save any problems, the nipple chromosome is already present (in a manner of speaking).
How is breast milk made?
It is the responsibility of hormones in the body, the main called Prolactin, to initiate and maintain milk production in the breast. Milk is produced by in the mammary glands and flows along channels called lactiferous ducts to the nipple for excretion. Because the breast makeup is the same in men and women, given enough female hormones a man will have the ability to produce breast milk. The pituitary gland is responsible for the production of the hormone Prolactin so problems with this gland can lead to men or women lactating when they are not supposed to.
What is breast cancer?
I considered listing the types of cancer and what is known as their ‘clinical manifestations’ (how they appear) but decided this may be a bit too shocking for the average blog reader. Instead I think it is important to let people know the basics. What to look for:
- Lump: Any size, shape and consistency
- It is common for small ducts to become enlarged or cysts to form which will fill with fluid that cannot drain into the lymph channels. It is however not your responsibility to decide if these are to be ignored. Harsh words I know but nevertheless very important –you’d employ a plumber to test drain blockages, not a chef – same thing!
- Pain: No pain does not mean no worry
- Breast tissue doesn’t have many pain receptors. The pain receptors in the body usually serve muscles and skin so if something is growing and not effecting any pain nerves because the rest of the breast is squishy and can take it, then there may not be any pain.
- Age: Any person of any age can develop a breast tumour, benign or cancerous.
- There are categories that usually conform to age related hormone changes but don’t let this fool you – cancer isn’t generally a conformist and definitely one size does not fit all.
- Size: Any cup will do!
- Doesn’t matter if you are A or H.. breast tissue is breast tissue so don’t think if you’re a flattie that you won’t get it – remember, men get breast cancer too!
- Leakage and other weirdness:
- As with any part of your body, if it becomes red, swollen or leaks without needing to then you need to get it checked (by a plumber, not a chef).
- Hereditary: This is NOT a safe-word!
- Not all cancers are hereditary and certainly breast cancer is no exception. Whilst some cancers have a higher rate of being hereditary, they have to start somewhere and truthfully this may be your generation’s turn. If your family hasn’t had it doesn’t mean that you won’t.
What is this all about?
The wonderful word : Awareness. It’s said so much but rarely understood I think. In the same way that society loves a good super hero or fairy tale ending, most of us live in a ‘won’t happen to me’ haze which gets us running through life without a care in the world and forgetting the most important machine maintenance – our own bodies.
Knowledge is most definitely power and I write these blogs to give people the power of knowing what their machine will get up to if it’s not serviced or maintained appropriately. If you can’t do this yourself or are not happy seeing your GP, then come along to the clinic for a once-over and chat. Osteopaths go through full medical training and I am keen to keep this as an active part of my practice so I can help more people in more ways than simple pain relief. Maintenance is the key – a trusting and friendly ear is your security and The Garden Clinic is your safe environment for sharing issues and discussing concerns.
I will also be happy to give anyone – man or woman – a free of charge breast exam and show them how to examine themselves. Just get in touch!
Shelley James
M.Ost