Perceptions and Opinions about Male Breast Cancer and Male Breast Self-Examination: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Objective: While the relatively common nature of female breast cancer has resulted in a high level of general awareness, male breast cancer is still comparatively unknown to the general public and to healthcare professionals. The objective of this study is to explore the perceptions and opinions about male breast cancer and male breast self-examination among male university students. Methodology: In-depth interviews were conducted among 36 male university students from the Management and Science University, Malaysia, selected by simple random sampling. The themes of the interview were: knowledge of male breast cancer and male breast self-examination, sources of knowledge and attitudes towards male BSE. The data obtained were classified into various categories and analyzed manually. Results: The majority of participants mentioned that there is a low possibility for males to get breast cancer. They also believed that the cause of breast cancer among men is due to the carcinogens from cigarettes. The majority of participants mentioned that they know about breast self-examination from the mass media and that the presence of a lump in the breast is the main symptom of breast cancer in men. The majority of participants mentioned that they encourage their family members to practice breast self-examination but considered that BSE is not important for men because they have a low probability of getting breast cancer. Conclusions: Misconceptions regarding male breast cancer and breast self-examination among men still exist among male university students. Therefore especial attention should be given to educate men about male breast cancer and male BSE.

Validity and Reliability of Turkish Male Breast Self-Examination Instrument

“…Factor 2 "In front of mirror" includes four steps. These two factors were found similar with the original MBSE instrument (11). In the analysis of the basic components applied to the scale, two factors were obtained.…”

“…However, in view of an increase in the male breast cancer incidence, it is clear that breast self-examination is important for males. It is stated that this examination is a reasonable and practical method for early diagnosis of breast cancer in developing countries (11). Expressing specific steps in this examination in a clear and understandable way plays an important role in its acceptance and implementation.…”

“…The original MBSE instrument was developed by Al-Naggar and AlNaggar in English and the Malay language in 2012 (11). It takes ten minutes to perform MBSE.…”

“…The strongest condition related to breast cancer is Klinefelter syndrome. In this syndrome, one X chromosome is added to XY chromosomes available in males and causes an increase in breast cancer risk (4,10,11). Obesity is another important risk factor since it increases estrogen-testosterone levels in males.…”

Nivel de conocimiento y frecuencia de autoexamen de mama en alumnos de los primeros años de la carrera de Medicina

“…Se ha mostrado que el AEM es practicado en poblaciones asiáticas (8,9) y de Estados Unidos (10). No obstante, este escenario no se presenta en otras regiones, donde el conocimiento del procedimiento es deficiente y a la baja frecuencia se agrega la falta de apoyo a las mujeres por su contraparte masculina (11)(12)(13)(14).…”