Treatment options for male breast cancer depend greatly on how far the cancer has spread, and its possible treatments include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. If the cancer is confined to the breast and has not spread, a complete cure may be achieved through radical surgical excision. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, a complete cure may not be possible, but aggressive treatment can help relieve symptoms and control the progression of the cancer. Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy is a method of using radiation to kill cancer cells. It can be used to help stop the cancer from returning after surgery, slow the spread of the cancer and relieve symptoms in patients who cannot be treated surgically. It usually requires multiple sessions, and each operation usually lasts 10 to 15 minutes. The routine course of treatment is 3 to 6 weeks, with 2 to 5 operations per week. Radiation therapy is not very painful and its side effects are mild and usually resolve significantly after treatment is stopped. Common side effects include: redness and swelling of the skin on the chest (similar to sunburn), fatigue, nausea, etc. Hormone therapy: Hormone therapy is the use of a drug that can be used to block estrogen. Most male breast cancers are “estrogen receptor positive”, meaning that the cancer cells need estrogen to grow, so blocking estrogen is beneficial in treating the tumor. Hormone therapy can be used to: prevent the cancer from returning after surgery, slow the spread of the cancer and relieve symptoms in patients who are unable to have surgery. The most commonly used hormone drug is tamoxifen, which is taken daily in tablet or liquid form, usually for 5 years, but sometimes it may be taken for longer. There are side effects of tamoxifen, such as feeling nauseous (which usually goes away quickly), hot flashes, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, mood changes such as irritability or depression, loss of sex drive, etc. There are also other hormonal medications such as those with aromatase inhibitors.