Environmental Factors and Breast Cancer in Men

Although the incidence of breast cancer in women is considerably higher than in men, a recent news story reminds us all that this cancer affects men too. About 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, so when 40 men who all lived on the Marine base Camp Lejeune at some point in their lives were diagnosed with breast cancer, one has to think environmental factors played a part in their developing the disease.

Forty former US Marines or sons of Marines, who lived at Camp Lejeune between 1960 and 1980, have all been diagnosed with the disease. One 39-year-old man diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago blames contaminated water on the Marine base for his cancer. Although government reports do show that the water there was contaminated for those three decades, the military stands by two independent reports that find no link between the tainted water and the men's illnesses. Senators from North Carolina, where Camp Lejeune is located, are investigating the issue further.

These cases remind us that only one in 10 cases of breast cancer occurs in women with a genetic predisposition for the disease. Environmental factors are real, and it's important to pay attention to chemicals in cosmetics and cleaning products.