As per the World Health Organization, 9.8 million people died due to cancer in 2018. Also, in India, about 1300 people are dying every day due to cancers. Cancer has become the 2nd most reason that is causing death around the world. Cancer, a group of diseases that led to abnormal cell growth, can spread and harm other body parts. There are different types of cancer and usually named after the area they affect the body. Out of all the types of cancer, let’s talk about Breast Cancer and other diseases like Gynaecomastia.
Gynaecomastia vs Breast Cancer
The main difference between Gynaecomastia and Breast Cancer is Gynaecomastia is the unusual non-cancerous growth of one or both breasts whereas Breast Cancer is a type of cancer. Gynaecomastia occurs in males only, but breast cancer is found both in males and females. It isn’t a life-threatening disorder, whereas Breast Cancer is a life-threatening disorder. It is caused due to hormonal imbalance, whereas Breast Cancer is caused due to a genetic disorder, change in lifestyle, late or no pregnancy, etc.
Gynaecomastia is a non-life-threatening growth of tissue in the male breast. It is common in males. It is due to hormonal imbalance. This disease is only associated with an increase in the overall size of the breast. Either there is a change in the shape of one side or both unevenly. Drugs can cure but, for severe cases, the requirement of surgery. There is no such close monitoring after the treatment of Gynaecomastia.
Breast Cancer, a life-threatening
disease. It can occur both in males and females. But it is usually higher in women than males. Sign of breast cancer is “changing in the shape of the breast, development of red patch on the skin, etc. It is one of the reasons which led to an increase in death among women. There are different types of stages in breast cancer, i.e., from stages 0-4.
Comparison Table Between Gynaecomastia and Breast Cancer
| Parameters of Comparison | Gynaecomastia | Breast Cancer |
| Nature of the disease | It is a non- cancerous disease. | It is a life threatning cancerous disease. |
| Occurance | only in male | Both male and female |
| Treatment | either through drugs or operation | through radiotherapy or chemotherapy |
| Cost of treatment | affordable | not affordable for everyone |
| Cause | mainly due to harmonal disorder | multiple reasons like genetic, size of breast, mutation in the BRCA1 AND BRCA2 |
What is Gynaecomastia?
Gynaecomastia is a common non-life-threatening disease occurring in boys or men. An increase in the amount of breast gland tissue is due to an imbalance of hormones. The disbalance of estrogen and testosterone is the primary reason. It usually occurs on either both sides or one side of the breast. It may affect unevenly. Newly born male babies during the puberty stage or older men may be affected by Gynaecomastia. It is the result of hormonal disbalance. There are two hormones responsible for this. Either there is a decrease in testosterone or an increase in estrogen. Some other reasons also responsible for Gynaecomastia. It isn’t a severe problem. It causes pain in the breast. Gynaecomastia is more common between the age group of 50 to 69. At least one in four men in this group are suffering from this disease. Early medication is possible at home with following some tips like regular exercise, say no to alcohol, no stress, proper diet, etc.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast Cancer is a life-threatening disease. It starts with the breast so, it is called breast cancer. In this case, cells grow at full speed. It usually form tumors. Women are more vulnerable than males. Its visibility is possible in X-rays. There are different stages(stages 0 to stage 4) of breast cancer. The doctor classifies these stages according to the size of a tumor. In stage 0, no invasion takes place and cancer cells are limited to within ducts. At the first stage, the growth of the tumor is up to 2 centimeters. At the second stage, the tumor’s size is about 2 to 5 cm. In stage 3, the tumor crosses 5 cm. In the 4th stage, it spreads to the other part like the liver, brains, etc. The cause of breast cancer is unclear but in maximum cases, the women who carry certain types of mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a higher chance of developing breast cancer. Also, women with denser breasts have a chance of breast cancer. These are some of the reasons. The treatment cost of breast cancer is not cheap. Treatment is expensive. The death rate in women is much higher. Rarely, men die due to breast cancer. Awareness is the need of the hour for a healthy lifestyle to avoid such disease.
Main Differences Between Gynaecomastia and Breast Cancer
- Gynaecomastia is a non-cancerous disease. Breast cancer is a cancerous disease.
- Gynaecomastia is a non-life-threatening disease, whereas breast cancer is a life-threatening disease.
- Gynaecomastia occurs in males, but breast cancer can occur in both males and females.
- Treatment for Gynaecomastia is either through drugs or surgery(in severe cases). But, treatment for breast cancer is radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
- Diagnosis of Gynaecomastia is excellent, but the diagnosis of breast cancer depends on stages.
Conclusion
Both the diseases have their own sets of problems. There is a requirement for proper planning. So on time, treatment is possible. People might be capable of the treatment of diseases like Gynaecomastia. But for Breast Cancer, everyone can’t afford it. Treatment is expensive. Science and technology are developing. But, still, people are dying because they are unable to get proper treatment. The need of the hour is to introduce affordable treatment for all. The government should allot funds in this area for more research and development. People should also be a health conscious. If any symptoms comprehended should consult doctor immediately.
Refrences
- https://www.spandidos-publications.com/mmr/3/1/21
- https://www.bmj.com/content/336/7646/709.pdf+html