WELL KNOWN STATISTICS

• 99 percent of those annually diagnosed with breast cancer are women. The other one percent are men. It is estimated in 2008 that 182,480 female cases will be reported, and 1,990 males. An oncologist at the UCLA Breast Centrex believes the female figure could be closer to 200,000 if more women were checked. Each year, over 40,000 females will die from the disease, while 450 males will succumb.

NOT SO-WELL-KNOWN FACTS

• Some doctors believe if more men were checked annually for breast cancer, the one percent figure might be at 10-12 percent.
• Other doctors feel the figure will not increase, but rather breast cancer in men will be caught at an earlier stage, thus saving lives, as males are usually diagnosed in the late stages of the disease.
• In Zambia, Africa, the figure for annually diagnosed men stands at 15 percent.
• In Egypt and Tanzania, the figure is at six percent.
• The male part of the equation is usually not taught or mentioned in medical school, probably because of the perceived low numbers, and the fact that female treatment is the same for their counterpart.