MBCGA Welcomes Dr. Angela Mazza to Lead Holistic Health Initiative in 2025 Medical Advisory Board Expansion
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2025
Endocrinologist and Prevention Advocate Brings Personal
Her appointment also carries profound personal meaning. “My father is a male breast cancer survivor,” Dr. Mazza shared. “As a physician, I’m trained to focus on diagnosis and treatment. But watching his journey, I realized how much stigma, silence, and emotional burden men carry—especially when facing something seen as a ‘woman’s disease.’ That has to change.”
According to MBCGA co-founder and president Cheri Ambrose, Dr. Mazza's
addition strengthens the
A Powerful New Direction for the Advisory Board
The MBCGA Medical Advisory Board was established to unite top-tier clinicians, researchers, and advocates from across disciplines to elevate awareness, research, and treatment access for male breast cancer—a disease still largely underrecognized despite its growing impact.
Now entering its eighth year, the Board is undergoing a strategic evolution. Its 2025 direction will embrace an expanded focus on men’s health, early diagnostics, functional medicine, and whole-body wellness. This shift aims to tackle barriers in awareness and care—especially the gender bias that has long silenced men facing breast cancer diagnoses.
Dr. Mazza was nominated by two prominent figures in medical diagnostics and public health advocacy: Dr. Robert L. Bard, internationally renowned cancer imaging specialist and diagnostic pioneer, and Dr. Lennard Goetze, media producer, speaker, and public health strategist. Together, they praised Dr. Mazza’s multidimensional impact as a physician, wellness educator, and community leader. Her appointment reflects theShe now joins a distinguished panel that includes leaders in radiology, genomics, surgical oncology, personalized medicine, and integrative care. Her presence on the board signifies a new wave of outreach capacity—designed to engage the public on topics that matter most in disease prevention and early detection.
Championing Prevention: Hormones, Obesity, and Inflammation
Dr. Mazza brings a wealth of clinical insight to MBCGA, including a nuanced understanding of the relationship between hormones and cancer. As an endocrinologist, she sees firsthand how systemic dysfunction contributes to disease—including insulin resistance, low testosterone, and chronic inflammation, particularly in aging male populations and first responders.
“Obesity is a major driver of cancer,” she explained. “Adipose tissue creates an inflammatory environment that fuels tumor growth. And it’s not just about body size—it’s about metabolic health. These are preventable pathways. That’s where our fight should begin.”
She is particularly concerned about underserved and at-risk men—those battling both health inequities and stigma. In her own practice, Dr. Mazza has treated numerous firefighters suffering from thyroid disorders, endocrine disruption, and toxic exposures. She sees her MBCGA role as a call to elevate early detection and education as core strategies of survivorship.
“Longevity is really just prevention with a new name,” she said. “And that means raising awareness before the crisis hits.”
Public Voice, Global Reach
Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Mazza is a celebrated public speaker, a prolific medical educator, and the founder of HealthSpan Horizons—a health media platform and video production company committed to empowering global audiences with wellness education. Through interviews, virtual events, and high-engagement health segments, she brings medical science to life for both professionals and the public.
Her content spans a wide range of vital topics—from hormone resilience and cancer prevention to regenerative medicine and functional testing. Her commanding media presence and relatable delivery style have made her a trusted voice in national campaigns—and now, a central figure in MBCGA’s expanded mission.
“Dr. Mazza helps us amplify the message that bias and fear should never stop anyone from getting checked,” said Ambrose. “She bridges the gap between science and public understanding—and that’s the power we need to fight stigma and save lives.”
A Personal Story That Fuels Her Mission
Dr. Mazza’s advocacy is deeply personal. Her father, now in recovery, faced the confusion and discomfort common among men diagnosed with breast cancer. “He found a lump and followed through with treatment, including surgery and radiation. But what stuck with me most was how embarrassed he felt—even after surviving. He told me he didn’t want to take his shirt off at the beach anymore.”
Even routine follow-ups like mammograms became emotionally fraught. “One tech told him, ‘At least you’re not a woman—it would’ve been worse.’ Comments like that are harmful,” she said. “It shows how far we still have to go to normalize this disease for men.”Her father’s experience became a catalyst for Dr. Mazza’s involvement. “I realized I had a platform to do more than treat symptoms. I could use my voice to challenge bias, change attitudes, and empower others—before they become patients.”
About the Male Breast Cancer
Global Alliance
The Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance (MBCGA) is the leading international nonprofit organization focused exclusively on supporting men diagnosed with breast cancer and their families. Through advocacy, education, research partnerships, and survivor support, MBCGA aims to erase stigma, ensure equity, and improve outcomes through early detection and inclusive care.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 16, 2025
The role of an MAB member is multifaceted. These dedicated clinicians, researchers, and health experts become a vital extension of the organization’s purpose, bringing real-time expertise and evidence-based insight to support every facet of the Alliance’s work. From authoring educational content to contributing to public policy conversations, these advisors help ensure the MBCGA remains a trusted and medically credible resource for patients, caregivers, and advocates around the world.
At its core, the advisory board fuels knowledge. Members may collaborate to publish white papers, clinical commentaries, and research summaries. They review and validate health information distributed to the public, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and sensitivity. Their expertise helps to translate complex science into patient-centered resources that foster understanding and action.Beyond publishing, advisory board members play a key role in collaboration. They serve as sounding boards for new programs and campaigns, providing clinical oversight to public health initiatives. Whether it's reviewing screening recommendations for high-risk men or participating in early detection campaigns, their guidance is instrumental in shaping the Alliance’s efforts and effectiveness.
Importantly, these professionals lend their voices in public forums. Advisory board members often serve as guest speakers for national seminars, media events, and webinars, offering powerful insights that bridge research and reality. By sharing clinical experiences and the latest updates in diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, they amplify awareness and encourage informed decisions.
But being on a medical advisory board also comes with a deeper human responsibility. MBCGA is not just an advocacy group—it’s a growing family of survivors, caregivers, researchers, and clinicians bound together by compassion and a commitment to equity. Advisory board members provide reassurance, clarity, and hope to a community that too often feels overlooked in the breast cancer landscape. They serve as educators, but also as advocates—using their credentials to shine a light on the disparities and stigmas that keep men from getting the care they deserve.
Together, the MAB and MBCGA leadership work in synergy to build a living resource—a place where patients and their families can find expert guidance, clinical direction, and compassionate support. Every contribution—whether it's reviewing a medical blog, joining a research panel, or advising on screening protocols—ripples outward to affect lives directly.In cancer advocacy, the clinical voice is vital. It elevates the mission from awareness to action. To join a medical advisory board like that of the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance is to step into a legacy of leadership. It is to stand for evidence-based change, to guide a movement with integrity, and to make a lasting difference in how the world sees—and treats—male breast cancer.
For clinicians and researchers who believe in the power of purpose, this is more than a board—it’s a call to serve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 16, 2025
A Physician’s Mission to Expose, Detect, and Defend Against an Overlooked Crisis
By Robert L. Bard, MD - Diagnostic Imaging Specialist | Cancer Research Advocate
Introduction: Breaking the Silence on a Misunderstood Threat - The mention of “breast cancer” typically conjures an image of a woman—an understandable reaction shaped by decades of awareness campaigns and pink-ribbon advocacy. But breast cancer is not exclusive to women. It happens in men too, and more often than many realize. The most dangerous part? Most male patients—and their doctors—don’t see it coming.
As a cancer imaging specialist, I’ve spent decades on the frontlines of early detection. What alarms me isn’t just the number of male breast cancer (MBC) cases I’ve encountered, but how easily they are missed, misdiagnosed, or outright ignored. That’s not due to biology—it’s due to bias and a critical lack of data. As I often say, “It’s only rare because of the lack of data.” That absence of awareness is costing lives, and it’s time we change that.
What Is Male Breast Cancer—and Why Aren’t We Talking About It? - Male breast cancer occurs when malignant cells form in the tissues of the male breast—yes, men do have breast tissue. While it accounts for less than 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses, its mortality rate is disproportionately high because most cases are discovered late. Symptoms often go unreported, overlooked, or dismissed until the disease has progressed.
Historical Blind Spots and Gender Bias - For decades, male breast cancer has fallen through the cracks of public health research and screening guidelines. With studies historically focused on women, male-specific risks and diagnostic patterns remain poorly understood. This has led to a deep-rooted and dangerous misconception: that breast cancer is solely a “woman’s disease.” But cancer is biologically indifferent—it targets tissue, not gender identity.
Global Perspective and Growing Numbers - International data reveals a slow but steady rise in male breast cancer cases. However, due to inconsistent reporting and the lack of routine male screening, the true global burden is underestimated. These silent statistics underscore the urgent need for universal awareness and inclusive diagnostic strategies—ones that are not restricted by borders, or by bias.
A New Era of Imaging: Changing the Narrative with Technology - Advanced imaging is one of the most powerful tools in reversing the tide of male breast cancer. As a pioneer in diagnostic ultrasound, I’ve seen firsthand how high-resolution, non-invasive scans can detect abnormalities long before they become life-threatening.
Technologies like thermal imaging, B-mode ultrasound, Doppler scanning, and elastography have all enhanced our ability to visualize tumors and vascular patterns in male breast tissue. These tools are not only faster and safer than traditional biopsies—they offer real-time insights that enable early, decisive action.
By adopting proactive imaging protocols for men—especially those with family history, hormone imbalances, or unexplained chest masses—we can shift the paradigm from reactive diagnosis to proactive health preservation.
What Makes MBC Different in Men? - Unlike women, men are not typically screened for breast cancer. With less breast tissue, tumors are often closer to the chest wall, increasing the risk of deeper invasion. Compounding this is the fact that men tend to delay seeking medical attention—often due to embarrassment, misperceptions, or a lack of awareness.
Hormonal differences also play a crucial role. While estrogen is a known factor in breast cancer development, we’re witnessing a disturbing rise in testosterone-related complications. In collaboration with endocrinologist Dr. Angela Mazza, I’ve explored mounting evidence linking hormone modulation—particularly synthetic testosterone used in bodybuilding—to elevated cancer risk.
When men self-medicate with anabolic steroids, they disrupt their endocrine balance. This may trigger estrogenic pathways or inflammatory processes that promote breast tissue proliferation and tumor formation. Moreover, thyroid dysfunction—often unexamined in this context—can exacerbate these hormonal imbalances and should be a standard part of any risk assessment.
The Mission of the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance - The Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance (MBCGA) exists to rewrite the narrative around MBC. As one of its active supporters, I see our work as far more than advocacy—it’s a movement. MBCGA champions data collection, patient support, and clinical innovation through global partnerships and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Together, we are establishing new standards: hormonal screening for at-risk men, comprehensive imaging protocols, and public education initiatives tailored to male populations. This alliance is helping fill the massive void left by decades of gendered oversight in cancer care. As I’ve often told my colleagues and patients alike, “It’s not just about detecting disease—it’s about protecting lives through education, partnership, and persistence.”
Need for Improved Programming - The lack of research, data, and early screening programs for male breast cancer is not just an academic oversight—it’s a public health emergency. My diagnostic practice now includes initiatives that specifically target this gap. I’ve established national and international programs to raise awareness, expand imaging access, and build registries that give researchers the tools they need. Every patient missed is a life potentially lost. We must build data. We must build awareness. We must build systems that include everyone at risk.
Conclusion: Let’s Redefine the Norms—Before More Lives Are Lost: We are living in an era of unparalleled medical tools—precision diagnostics, advanced imaging, integrative endocrinology. There is no longer an excuse for ignorance. Male breast cancer isn’t a statistical outlier—it’s a dangerously underestimated reality that has lived too long in the shadows.
If we are to save lives, we must update our clinical radar, erase the gender bias in our protocols, and embrace technological innovation as our first line of defense. Breast cancer advocacy must evolve from being color-coded and gendered to truly inclusive.
Because cancer doesn’t discriminate—and neither should we.
# # #
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPOTLIGHT: THE BATTLE IS ON
The MBCGA honors David Engle. It's been a unique and rewarding journey to meet and document the countless stories of those afflicted with Male Breast Cancer. In our website, we bring you the many unsung advocates that offer their compelling experience with the hopes of saving others."I was 70 years old when I was diagnosed. My double mastectomy was deemed a success with clear surgical margins and minimal lymphatic involvement. I did not require radiation therapy or chemotherapy subsequent to my surgery. I will be taking tamoxifen for up to 5 years as a precautionary measure against recurrence. So far, I’ve managed the side effects of this drug without too much difficulty." - Check out his complete story @ https://mbcglobalalliance.org/stories/david-engle/
ALSO, JOIN OUR ONLINE MBC GLOBAL ALLIANCE GROUP ON LINKEDIN @: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8877080/The information provided in this article is a compiled report from public websites whose links are listed in the FOOTNOTES OR REFERENCE section and the statements and quotes included are from actual interviews by those whose names are stated who provided express consent to the publishing of this material. This article is not meant to be used to diagnose, treat or advise others about what actions they should take with regard to any medical condition. No one should undertake or discontinue any treatment as a result of what they read on our blogs. The publisher(s), editors or sponsors are providing a strictly educational or editorial service and are not responsible for the diagnosis or treatment of any specific health needs. Writers and publishers are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation to any person(s) reading the information in this article or its thread. Readers with medical needs should obtain appropriate professional medical supervision. References are provided for any informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement of any websites or other sources.
No comments:
Post a Comment