Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Male Breast: A Rare Histology in an Uncommon Disease

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer in men is an uncommon disease. Nearly all cases of male breast cancer originate in the terminal ductulolobular unit, with exceedingly rare reports of lobular carcinoma in men. Invasive lobular cancer is found in no more than 1–2% of male breast cancer cases. Most of what is known about this disease is in the form of approximately 30 case reports in the literature. Case Report: We report the case of a 52-year-old man who presented at our institution with a lump in his left breast. Ultrasound-guided biopsy revealed an invasive lobular cancer. The rare histological type was confirmed by the result of the histological examination of the mastectomy specimen. The treatment was completed by dose dense chemotherapy, radiation, and endocrine therapy. Conclusion: Even though lobular structures are quite infrequent in the normal male, sporadic cases of invasive lobular breast cancer have been described. A short overview will be given in this case report.

Invasive lobular carcinoma of the male breast – a systematic review with an illustrative case study

“… 26 The relative incidence of lobular carcinoma in males is significantly lower (1%–2%) than in females (10%–15%). 11 Based on our analysis of the SEER database 1973–2012, the mean age at diagnosis of LBC in males is comparable to females, at 66.8 and 64.4 years respectively; these ages are older than in lobular carcinoma in situ, in which the mean age of diagnosis is 53.5 and 54.6 years. From the SEER database, the majority of men affected with LBC are Caucasian (88.6%) followed by African American (6.8%) with low rates among Asians (3.4%) and First Nations (0%); similar trends are seen among women.…”

“…The highest reported rate of lobular carcinoma of the male breast is in a manuscript published in 2012 that used information collected from the National Cancer Database (1998–2007) in which the rate of lobular carcinoma among male breast cancer patients was 10%; however, original pathology could not be reviewed to confirm the diagnosis 26. The relative incidence of lobular carcinoma in males is significantly lower (1%–2%) than in females (10%–15%) 11. Based on our analysis of the SEER database 1973–2012, the mean age at diagnosis of LBC in males is comparable to females, at 66.8 and 64.4 years respectively; these ages are older than in lobular carcinoma in situ, in which the mean age of diagnosis is 53.5 and 54.6 years.…”

“…The incidence of the lobular subtype among male breast cancer is approximately 1.5%. 11 The highest reported rate of lobular carcinoma of the male breast is in a manuscript published in 2012 that used information collected from the National Cancer Database (1998–2007) in which the rate of lobular carcinoma among male breast cancer patients was 10%; however, original pathology could not be reviewed to confirm the diagnosis. 26 The relative incidence of lobular carcinoma in males is significantly lower (1%–2%) than in females (10%–15%).…”

Invasive lobular carcinoma: a rare presentation in the male breast

“…Therefore, all men diagnosed with breast cancer should be referred for genetic counselling and BRCA testing 2 9…”

“…As a result, the tumour may be advanced at the time of diagnosis, which may contribute to the poorer survival seen in men 2 14. Most contemporary reports of both male and female breast cancer that were carefully matched for age at diagnosis, stage and grade, do not substantiate a significantly worse survival in men 14 15…”