What is it?

Malignancy is when cancerous cells spread to different body parts to invade and destroy tissues. 

Types of Malignancies In Men 
There are different types of cancers that affect men, below are some common genital cancers.

1. Breast Cancer for men

Breast Cancer is the development of a tumor because of cell mutations in the breast.  The cancer cells can begin in the ducts (tubes that carry milk) or lobules (milk-producing glands) and spread to other parts. It is usually associated with women but in rare cases, men can have it too. Breast cancer is common in men older than 50 but can occur at any age. Men detect breast cancer in its advanced stage because they don’t usually get mammograms like women. 

Symptoms: 

• Breast lumps
• Change in the breast size, shape, appearance
• Redness or flaky 
• Change in the nipple or areola
• Nipple discharge
• Nipple pain or rash

Risk Factors:

• Increasing age
• Obesity
• Genetic mutations
• Excessive alcohol and tobacco use
• Family history of breast cancer
• Radiation exposure
• Prolonged use of hormonal therapy
• Liver disease
• Testicle injury, swelling, disease, or removal surgery
• Klinefelter’s syndrome, a genetic condition where boys have more than one X chromosome.

Treatment:

Treatment to remove the tumor usually involves surgery. Other treatment options include hormone therapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and biological therapy (immunotherapy).

2. Testicular cancer

The testes is an organ that is mainly responsible for producing testosterone. Testicular cancer is when cancerous cells develop in the testicles. It is the 2nd most common cancer affecting men aged 15 to 49. Cancer usually affects only one testicle and is treatable even if it spreads past the testicles. 

There are 4 common stages for testicular cancer.

• Stage 0: also referred to as “Germ Cell Neoplasia In Situ (GCNIS)”, isn’t exactly a cancer but a warning indicating cancer growth is possible. 
• Stage I (IA, IB, IS): the cancer hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes and is only found in the testicle.
• Stage II (IIA, IIB, IIC): the cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes in the abdomen but hasn’t spread to other parts of the body.
• Stage III (IIIA, IIIB, IIIC): the cancer has spread past the lymph nodes in the abdomen and can found far from the testicles, like in distant lymph nodes or the lungs.

Almost all testicular cancers start from germ cells, responsible for making sperm. There are two main types of germ cell tumors (GCTs) in the testicles:

• Seminoma: is the most common type of testicular cancer that grow slowly and react well to radiation and chemotherapy. 
• Non-seminoma: grow quicker than seminomas and are less responsive to radiation and chemotherapy. Treatment usually involve surgery.

Symptoms:

Testicular cancer usually has no symptoms but when it does, the most common ones are:

• Change in size or shape of the testicles
• Lump or pain in the scrotum
• Aching scrotum or lower back
• Collection of fluid in the scrotum
• Tenderness in breast tissue

Risk Factors:

• Undescended testes
• Family history of testicular cancer
• HIV infection
• Having had testicular cancer before
• Older age

Treatment:

Testicular cancer is easily treated with surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy used for cancers beyond the testicles, radiation therapy to kill the cancer cells, or a combination of these treatments.

3. Prostate, BPH, and prostatic cancer

A Prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system that helps make semen located just below the bladder and infront of the rectum. The older a man gets, the bigger his prostate grows. Because of the enlargement, the prostate can put pressure on the urethra, causing issues with urination. These problems usually won’t begin until a man is 50 or older, but it can start earlier.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is also referred as Prostate Gland Enlargment and is a non-cancerous condition when the prostate is enlarged. It has symptoms siminlar to prostate cancer and can cause urine blockage and bladder, urinary tract, or kidney problems.

Prostate cancer also known as prostatic cancer, is a cancer that develops when the prostate glad increases in size to the point where it affects the urethra. It usually affects men aged 50 or above. 

Risk Factors:

• Older age
• STI
• Family history
• Gene mutations
• Chemical exposures
• Obesity

Symptoms:

• Burning during urination
• Trouble urinating
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Pain in the back, hips, or pelvis
• Painful ejaculation
• Erectile dysfinction

Treatment:

There are different treatment options depending on the severity of the prostate cancer. Surgery may be recommended to remove the prostate. Other treatments to kill cancer cells include radiation therapy (external or internal), chemotherapy, cryotherapy (to freeze then kill cancer cells), chemotherapy, biological therapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and hormonal therapy.