Both men and women can develop breast cancer. Many people do not think of men as having breasts, but in fact men and women both have breast tissue. Men tend to have a much smaller amount of breast tissue than women, but breast cancer can still develop.

Breast cancer in men is very rare. Around 400 men in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, compared with over 50,000 women. We do not offer breast screening to men because the chances of them having breast cancer are so small.

Despite breast cancer not being very common in men, it is still important that men get to know what’s normal for them and report any changes that they find. Breast awareness guidelines are the same for men and women.