“I Thought It Was Just Inflammation”: 70 Men Have Died of Breast Cancer in This Country in 5 Years

Diagnosis Delayed by Perception That Breast Cancer Is a Women's Disease
Watch for Breast Lumps and Nipple Changes

Contrary to the perception that breast cancer affects only women, 70 men have died from the disease in Costa Rica, Central America, over the past five years. Experts urged people to be alert, saying that men are often diagnosed and treated late because of a lack of awareness about breast cancer.

Yonhap News Agency reported on October 20, citing Spanish-language media outlets including Infobae, that Costa Rica's National Institute of Statistics and Census recorded 70 male deaths among patients who died of breast cancer from 2021 to 2025.

During the same period, a total of 8,237 people died of breast cancer, with men accounting for about 0.85%. This amounts to an average of 14 male deaths from breast cancer per year. The problem lies in the social perception that breast cancer affects only women. Even when men notice unusual symptoms in their chests, many do not suspect breast cancer and therefore delay seeking medical care.

Experts say that breast cancer in women is often detected at a relatively early stage, while men are often diagnosed after the cancer has progressed considerably. Yader Sandoval, a professor at the Universidad Hispanoamericana in Costa Rica, warned, "Men can also develop breast cancer, and if they are unaware of this, diagnosis may be delayed." He added, "If you feel a lump in your chest, you should be examined by a medical professional, even if it is not painful."

Because men account for only a small proportion of all breast cancer patients, awareness of the disease tends to be low. In particular, lumps or skin changes on the chest may be mistaken for simple inflammation, causing people to miss the opportunity for timely treatment. Dr. Marni Ramos of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund explained, "There are far fewer male than female breast cancer patients, but men tend to visit medical institutions later, so their diagnoses are often delayed." The main warning signs highlighted by experts include a palpable lump in the chest, changes in the shape of the nipple, nipple discharge, and indentation or deformity of the skin around the breast.

Because breast cancer can develop even in the absence of pain or a family history of the disease, it is important to get examined if you notice changes from what is normal for you. However, male breast cancer is not necessarily more aggressive or harder to treat than female breast cancer.

Fourteenth-century English surgeon John Arderne first mentioned the existence of male breast cancer in a record from 1307. Advances in medicine have expanded our understanding of human organs and tumors, but a lack of awareness about the disease makes male breast cancer difficult to detect early, and its mortality rate continues to rise. The image shows John Arderne's records of human anatomy. The Asia Business Daily

Kathryn Rudy, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, explained that when comparing cases at the same stage, the prognosis for male breast cancer is not significantly worse than for female breast cancer. Treatment is also similar to that for female breast cancer. Surgery is performed depending on the cancer's stage and characteristics, with chemotherapy or radiation therapy also used when necessary.

According to global cancer statistics published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 2.43 million new cases of breast cancer among women and approximately 694,000 deaths were recorded worldwide in 2024. Breast cancer ranked second among cancers by number of new cases worldwide and fourth among causes of cancer-related deaths. Experts advised that although male breast cancer is rare, early detection has a major impact on treatment outcomes, so everyone should pay attention to unusual signs in the chest, regardless of sex.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.