Does a mammogram hurt for a man?

The American Cancer Society says the breast is pressed between 2 plates, and the compression lasts only a few seconds. It may be briefly uncomfortable. The pressure is needed to get a clear picture.

Is every breast lump in a man cancer?

No. The American College of Radiology says most male breast problems are benign, and gynecomastia is the most common cause. A hard, one-sided lump still needs a medical examination, and imaging if the doctor cannot explain it.

Should a man with a BRCA2 variant have a mammogram every year?

There is no uniform rule. GeneReviews describes self-examination training and an annual clinical breast examination from age 35 for these men. The National Cancer Institute says screening mammograms are not usually recommended for men, even at increased risk, so ask a genetic counselor about your own plan.

Do teenage boys with breast swelling need a mammogram?

Usually not. MedlinePlus says more than one half of boys develop some breast enlargement during puberty, and it often goes away in about 6 months to 2 years. If a male younger than 25 has an unexplained lump, the American College of Radiology rates ultrasound as the first test.

Is breast MRI used for men with a breast lump?

Not as a routine test. The American College of Radiology rates breast MRI as usually not appropriate for a man with breast symptoms. The 2020 ASCO guideline also says breast MRI is not recommended routinely for men who had breast cancer.

Can Men Get Mammograms? When Imaging Is Used for the Male Breast

The short answer: Yes. Men have breast tissue, and a mammogram can image it. The CDC says men may need a mammogram if they have symptoms of breast cancer or have a higher risk. For a man aged 25 or older with an unexplained breast lump, the American College of Radiology (ACR) rates a diagnostic mammogram as usually appropriate. Routine screening mammograms are not recommended for men in general.

When do men need a mammogram?

Most mammograms in men are diagnostic. That means a doctor orders the exam because of a symptom, not as a routine check. Our guide to screening versus diagnostic mammograms explains the difference.

The CDC lists these as the most common symptoms of breast cancer in men:

A lump or swelling in the breast
Redness or flaky skin in the breast
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
Nipple discharge
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area

The CDC notes that these symptoms can happen with conditions that are not cancer. It says to see your doctor right away if you have any symptoms or changes.

The ACR Appropriateness Criteria for the symptomatic male breast (2018) say imaging is indicated in two situations. The first is when the doctor cannot tell benign disease from cancer on the physical examination. The second is when the examination looks suspicious.

Is a mammogram or an ultrasound done first?

Age and the examination findings decide. The ACR criteria give these ratings:

Findings that fit gynecomastia. No imaging is routinely recommended. The ACR rates mammography and ultrasound as usually not appropriate.
Unexplained lump, younger than 25. Ultrasound is the first test (usually appropriate). A mammogram may be appropriate.
Unexplained lump, age 25 or older. A diagnostic mammogram or digital breast tomosynthesis is the first test (usually appropriate). Ultrasound may be appropriate.
Examination suspicious for cancer. A mammogram or tomosynthesis is recommended at any age. The ACR also rates ultrasound as usually appropriate here.
Unclear or suspicious mammogram. Ultrasound is the next test.

Digital breast tomosynthesis is the 3D form of the exam. Our article on 3D versus 2D mammograms covers it. The ACR rates breast MRI as usually not appropriate in every one of these situations. Our sibling site mri.md explains how MRI works.

A suspicious finding on imaging needs a tissue sample. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says suspicious findings should be confirmed with a core biopsy. See our guide on what to expect from a breast biopsy.

Can a mammogram tell gynecomastia from cancer?

Usually, yes. Gynecomastia is an abnormal amount of breast tissue in a male. MedlinePlus says an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone usually causes it. More than one half of boys develop some breast enlargement during puberty. In adult men it is more common at age 50 and older and in men who are overweight.

The ACR calls gynecomastia the most common cause of male breast problems. A 2019 review in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine says gynecomastia has characteristic imaging findings that differentiate it from cancer.

One study measured this. Researchers in Dallas had two radiologists read 104 mammograms from 100 men who also had a tissue diagnosis. For cancer, mammography had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 90%. The negative predictive value was 99%. The study was small, with 12 cancers.

The same study found that 6 of the 12 cancers coexisted with gynecomastia. So a diagnosis of gynecomastia does not rule out cancer in a man who also has a hard lump. MedlinePlus lists one-sided breast growth and a firm or hard lump that feels attached to the tissue as features that may suggest cancer.

How common is breast cancer in men, and who is at higher risk?

It is rare. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 2,670 men in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2026, and about 530 men will die from it. The average lifetime risk for a man is about 1 in 755. Fewer than 1% of breast cancers in the US occur in men. The average age at diagnosis is between 60 and 70 years.

The CDC and the NCI list these risk factors:

Older age.
Inherited gene changes. The NCI reports a cumulative breast cancer risk by age 70 of 6.8% for men with a BRCA2 pathogenic variant and 1.2% with a BRCA1 variant. It also names PALB2, PTEN, and TP53.
Family history of breast cancer.
Radiation therapy to the chest.
Klinefelter syndrome. A 2011 NCI review says the largest study found a 19.2-fold increase in breast cancer incidence. That risk was still about 70% lower than the risk in females.
Other factors. These include hormone therapy, liver disease, certain conditions that affect the testicles, and overweight and obesity.

Should high-risk men get screening mammograms?

No body recommends routine screening for all men. For high-risk men, the guidance is cautious and not uniform.

The NCI says screening mammograms are not usually recommended for men, even those at increased risk.
The American Cancer Society says careful breast exams might be useful for men with a strong family history. It adds that screening these men has not been studied to know if it is helpful.
GeneReviews (updated March 2026) describes screening for men with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant as self-examination training and an annual clinical breast examination from age 35.
The 2020 ASCO guideline covers men who already had breast cancer. It says a yearly mammogram of the treated breast should be offered after lumpectomy. A yearly mammogram of the other breast may be offered to men with a predisposing gene mutation.

Two hospital studies suggest a possible benefit. In a 12-year study in Radiology (2019), 271 screening examinations in high-risk men found five cancers. All five were node-negative. The detection rate was 18 per 1,000 examinations. A second study (2019) reported 4.9 cancers per 1,000 examinations in 163 men. Most of those men had a personal history of breast cancer.

Both studies came from one hospital each and looked back at records. In practice, advice varies. A 2021 study found that only 7.9% of male BRCA carriers were recommended screening mammograms. A man with a known gene variant should ask a genetic counselor or breast specialist about his own plan.

For transgender people, the ACR transgender screening criteria (2021) apply. For a transgender woman aged 40 or older with average risk and 5 or more years of hormone use, the ACR rates a screening mammogram as may be appropriate. With less hormone use and average risk, the rating is usually not appropriate. For a transgender man aged 40 or older with average risk and no chest surgery, or with breast reduction only, the rating is usually appropriate. After bilateral mastectomy, the rating is usually not appropriate. The ACR notes that no long-term studies have tested screening in transgender people.

How is a mammogram done on a man?

The method is the same one used for women. The American Cancer Society describes it for men: the breast is pressed between 2 plates to flatten and spread the tissue. The compression lasts only a few seconds. It may be briefly uncomfortable, but it is necessary to get a better picture.

Sometimes the technologist takes extra pictures, called spot views with magnification, to see a small area more closely. If an ultrasound follows, a gel goes on the skin and a handheld transducer is moved over the area. You might feel some pressure, but it should not be painful.

The bottom line

Men can get mammograms, and the exam works well on the male breast. The usual reason is a symptom, such as an unexplained lump in a man aged 25 or older. Breast cancer in men is rare, so routine screening is not recommended. Men with a BRCA2 variant, Klinefelter syndrome, or a past breast cancer should ask a specialist about their own follow-up. See a doctor promptly about any new breast lump or nipple change.

Last updated: October 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. See a health care provider about any breast lump, nipple change, or question about your own cancer risk.