Xref: utzoo sci.bio:880 soc.men:2524
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!linus!philabs!aecom!werner
From: werner@aecom.YU.EDU (Craig Werner)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,soc.men
Subject: Re: types of breast tissue (impossibility of male breast feeding)
Message-ID: <1588@aecom.YU.EDU>
Date: 2 Feb 88 18:36:10 GMT
References: <1589@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <19546@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <1820@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY
Lines: 21

> 
>[Prolactin] also causes lactation in male humans, as the LaLeche League (a pro-
> breast-feeding organization) will be happy to tell you.  I've also heard
> claims that human male breasts can be stimulated to produce milk through
> massage, but I find that one a bit unlikely.

	Breast tissue is of two types: lobular and ductal.  Both males
and females have lobular tissue, and both can potentially lactate. I 
should point out at this point that the first recorded masectomy (17th c)
was performed on a male monk (at this point in history, surgeons - all male -
were not allowed to examine unclothed women).
	However, men lack the ductal system, which of course means that

1) they will never get ductal carcinoma - the most common breast cancer, and
2) they cannot nurse, and lactation will cause only painful swelling as
	the milk gets trapped.
-- 
	        Craig Werner   (future MD/PhD, 3 years down, 4 to go)
	     werner@aecom.YU.EDU -- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
              (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
                   "Low-tech is a lot more effective than low-cal."