Radiation For Gynecomastia

[MammaryMan]

A short course of radiation to the breasts (in hopes of reducing gynecomastia) is often given to men with prostate cancer who are about to begin a hormone blockade regimen.
However a 2010 Mayo Clinic paper states:
" For the treatment of existing gynecomastia, radiation therapy resulted in improvement or resolution of gynecomastia in 33% of treated patients, with 39% experiencing improvement or resolution of breast pain".
Those aren't great odds. But maybe a doctor can tell us if a prior radiated gland ( 12 to 20 Gy) would be difficult to reduce with surgery if the patient was not happy with the radiation outcome.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Not everything written in the medical literature makes sense.

To me, treating a benign condition (gyne) with radiation, in an area (breasts) in which cancer can occur, is simply looking for trouble.  Radiation, while excellent for many problems,  can also pre-dispose to cancer formation.

And even if it worked -- but not completely --you would be left with fibrotic, internally scarred breasts which would greatly increase the difficulty of any surgery to complete the job.  In essence, the surgery might not be able to provide you with the best possible result.

I certainly wouldn't want my boobs to glow in the dark!   

Dr Jacobs

[fairviewL]

I'm not a doctor but have done considerable research on this as a result of my gyne. This preventative type of radiation is used for men with aggressive prostrate cancer being treated with high levels of estrogen, typically >40mg /week. Since glandular formation is initiated at the nipple and progresses away from it, the nipple is irradiated to prevent formation of the breast bud.  While this treatment will preclude or minimize glandular development it will not prevent fat disposition in respect to the body's response to estrogen. Breast enlargement will still occur but with minimal or no glandular development.
For treatment of preexisting gyne I think I'll let others pioneer that success or failure.

[TigerPaws]

I'm not a doctor but have done considerable research on this as a result of my gyne. This preventative type of radiation is used for men with aggressive prostrate cancer being treated with high levels of estrogen, typically >40mg /week. Since glandular formation is initiated at the nipple and progresses away from it, the nipple is irradiated to prevent formation of the breast bud.  While this treatment will preclude or minimize glandular development it will not prevent fat disposition in respect to the body's response to estrogen. Breast enlargement will still occur but with minimal or no glandular development.
For treatment of preexisting gyne I think I'll let others pioneer that success or failure.

While radiation treatments have come a long way they are by no means as precise as the medical community would have the general public believe. If you dive deeply into the medical literature and research which is intentionally obscure, difficult to find and written so as to confuse the reader you will find a great many disclaimers and caveats to what is being written. As with any medical treatment or procedure the “Law of Unintended Consequences” comes into play often with unpredictable results.

I am personally aware of a gentleman who was diagnosed with Cancer of the Larynx, several Cobalt Radiation treatments later his cancer was gone and never returned. Where the “Law of Unintended Consequences” comes into play was that he no longer needed to shave the irradiated area of his neck, his beard no longer grew there. Not an unacceptable trade off. Additionally before the treatment he was almost deaf, afterword he could hear a pin drop from across the room. And while both of these side effects were begin and in fact regaining his hearing was beneficial they were unrelated and unintended to the original treatment.

While irradiating the breast gland my have the effect of reducing or altogether stopping its development while undergoing Estrogen therapy for a Prostate issue as I have done, what about the “Law of Unintended Consequences”, what else could be or will be affected by the radiation?

Everything in life is a risk/benefit relationship, the question is; is it worth the risk? That as with most things in life is a personal decision. As for me living with fully developed 38D breasts is a small price to pay for the benefit of a healthy Prostate.