Breast cancer can strike men, too

Mutations in one of several genes, especially a gene called BRCA2, put men at greater risk of developing breast and prostate cancer. — Jiri Hera/Dreamstime/TNS

Breast cancer may be thought of as a disease that affects only women. It's the second-most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States, and it will affect one in eight women, according to the American Cancer Society.

Much of the messaging around breast cancer research focuses on the disease in women.