Men too can develop breast cancer, and its treatment could be much more complex if diagnosed at an advanced stage, doctors said Thursday.

"People are unaware that breast cancer can afflict men also, as the disease is infrequent and hardly reported. Men too have nodules in the breast, and hormonal imbalance after the age of 40 can cause breast cancer," said Sameer Kaul, surgical oncologist at Apollo Hospital here.

For every 100 cases of breast cancer, 99 are seen in females and 1 in males, Kaul said.

"Cancerous cells can also be present in the male breast tissue. The problem is that the tumour might spread early to other body parts because of the small size of male breast," Kaul added.

The fear and hesitation in males to get examined is a cause of concern too, say doctors.

The diagnosis and treatment of a male breast cancer patient is similar to that of a female.

"The treatment may include chemotherapy or surgical removal of the tumour, depending on the stage of diagnosis," said Rudra Acharya, surgical oncologist at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon.

The symptoms of breast cancer include swelling in the breast region, pus formation, and lumps in the armpits or breast region.

"Mammography is not of much help because the small–sized breast can not be satisfactorily examined by mammography machine. MRI, CT scan and ultrasound are better options," Acharya added.