Dr Jennifer Mamby-Alexander, Contributor

Dr Jennifer Mamby-Alexander has been cancer free for 20 years

Dedicated to male breast cancer awareness (The John Nick Foundation)

Although certain risk factors like ageing, liver disease and having female relatives with breast cancer are studied, the cause of male breast cancer is still unknown.

The mortality rate is increasing in men for two main reasons. Men have smaller breasts, so the cancer can more easily spread into the chest wall, and the general population does not realise that men can get breast cancer.

Johnwas a well educated and respected man who at 52 years of age was concerned about an inverted nipple (a nipple that turned in). His doctor told him not to worry about it. Two years later, another doctor told him it was nothing. John knew nothing about male breast cancer, so he listened to his doctors.

Fluid discharge

In the following two years, John began experiencing a fluid discharge from his nipple. At that time, another doctor recognised the symptoms and diagnosed John with male breast cancer. At surgery, 20 of his lymph nodes tested positive for cancer. He was treated, but John died. It was a lack of awareness that killed him.

Bobat 36 was diagnosed with breast cancer. He felt a small lump in his breast. Because he had a positive family history of female breast cancer, he decided to see his doctor who told him that breast cancer is rare in men and he was too young for the disease. However, he was sent for a biopsy that confirmed a diagnosis of breast cancer. He was given chemotherapy for six weeks.

Three years later he felt pain in his hip and ribs. A scan and biopsies confirmed that the cancer had spread to his bones. He was castrated to limit the amount of male hormones in his body and was given treatment to block the amount of female hormones in his body. Every man produces some oestrogen, just as women's bodies produce small amounts of testosterone.

Bob lost his battle with breast cancer after 10 years, when he was only 47 years old.

It is virtually important that men realise that this is a potentially deadly disease that they too can get. Breast cancer is NOT a woman's disease. It's a people's disease. The only cancer you cannot get is one for which you do not possess that body part.

Learn more about your body and breast cancer in October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Names changed to protect identity.

Dr Jennifer Mamby-Alexander is a 20 year survivor of breast cancer, and the author of 'A Practical Guide to Coping with Cancer'.