Men Risk For Breast Cancer May Be Higher Than You Think Find out why it's not just a woman's disease

Just because you don’t have breasts doesn’t mean you can’t get a tumor there.

“It is rare, but it can happen,” says Dr Mary Daly, chair of clinical genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center in the US.

So if you ever notice a lump in your chest, don’t shrug it off—see your primary care doc right away, says Dr Stephanie Akbari who specialises in breast Health.

And if your mother has breast cancer, do a little digging. In some cases, breast cancer is triggered by a mutated version of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, which can be inherited by both men and women, says Dr. Akbari.

If your mom’s malignancy resulted from one of the mutations, there's a 50 percent chance she passed it on to you, Dr. Akbari says.

In 2013, American actress Angelina Jolie had both her breasts removed to prevent breast cancer after she found out about her BRCA 1 gene mutation.

Fortunately, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes boost a man's already low risk of breast cancer to only 1.2 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively, a study in Journal of the National Cancer Institutereports.

But there is a catch: A BRCA mutation also raises your odds of developing prostate cancer, Dr. Daly says.

To hedge your bets, meet with a genetic counselor to determine whether your family history warrants a DNA test. (Find a counselor at National Cancer Centre Singapore.)

In the meantime, stay lean to reduce the threat of prostate cancer and male breast cancer. Studies show that obesity may be a risk factor for both diseases.

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