Scientists have uncovered the gene that plays an important role in male breast cancer.

Breast cancer is very rare among men compared to women. However, the survival rate is very low due to lack of awareness. The discovery is expected bring in better treatments.

According to an estimate from American Cancer Society, 2,190 new cases of invasive breast cancer is expected to be diagnosed among men in 2012 and about 410 men will die.

The study published in Nature Genetics included 823 male breast cancer patients from UK. Dr. Nick Orr and colleagues examined about 447,000 genetic changes in the participants.

At the end of the study, they discovered alterations in RAD51B, a gene that helps in repairing damaged DNA, playing a major role in the occurrence. Having a faulty RAD51B gene was found escalating the risks by 50 percent.

"This study represents a leap forward in our understanding of male breast cancer. It shows that while there are similarities with female breast cancer, the causes of the disease can work differently in men. This raises the possibility of different ways to treat the disease specifically for men," study author Dr Nick Orr, a team leader in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) said, in a statement.

The researchers are now planning to use the latest findings to study breast cancer in women.

"Male breast cancer is rare, which makes it difficult to study. Through drawing on many hundreds of patients from this country and abroad, we can now start to unravel its causes. We will be continuing this research to try to find more genes that raise the risk of male breast cancer, in order to understand better the causes of this disease in men, and in women," Professor Anthony Swerdlow, co-leader of the Male Breast Cancer Study and professor of epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research said.

Following are some common symptoms of male breast cancer, provided by Cancer Research UK:

* Painless lump in the breast area

* A discharge from nipple (blood stained)

* Swelling of the breast

* Lumps under the arm

* An ulcer in the skin of the breast

* Nipple retraction