Male Breast Cancer Clinical Features, Risk Factors, and Current Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Objective: To review presentation, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of male breast cancer. Method: A systematic review of the English language literature between 1990 and 2013 was conducted to identify studies relevant to the objective. Searches were carried out on the database PubMed, by using the title term "male breast cancer". Results: The majority of male patients present with a painless, firm, subareolar lump. Experience of male breast imaging is good but limited. However, there is no definitive therapeutic algorithm. Men are often treated with mastectomy instead of breast conserving surgery and mostly tamoxifen is used as an adjuvant therapy. The most important prognostic factors are tumor size and lymph node status in the armpit. Conclusion: More increased awareness and further research are needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Male breast cancer: diagnosis stages, treatment and survival in a country with limited resources (Burkina Faso)

“…Systematic screening, awareness-raising, and the strong involvement of women has enabled to improve the diagnosis deadlines of female breast cancers [ 15 ]. On the contrary, the scarcity of breast cancers and the absence of similar motivation of males still result in long deadlines of diagnosis [ 15 , 16 ]. Nevertheless, the extent of this late diagnosis is related to the level of development or organization of countries.…”

“…Increasingly, it leaves space for modified radical mastectomy (Patey and modified Patey) that gives the same results with less postoperative complications [ 23 – 25 ]. Radical mastectomy (HALSTED) and modified radical mastectomy (PATEY) represent together, more than 70% of surgical procedures [ 16 ]. Nowadays, modified radical mastectomy is the standard treatment [ 23 , 18 , 26 ].…”

“…Tamoxifen is the choice molecule compared to anti-aromatases. It is the standard adjuvant treatment and is believed to improve overall survival [ 13 , 16 ]. However, it is less invasive than chemotherapy, on these already fragile areas (median age superior to 60 years [ 6 ].…”

“…However, it is less invasive than chemotherapy, on these already fragile areas (median age superior to 60 years [ 6 ]. Taxanes are used in case of invasion of lymph nodes [ 16 ]. In our series, the low use of hormonal therapy (11/51 cases) can be explained by the impossibility to carry out immunohistochemistry examination locally.…”

Câncer de mama em homens

“…No homem, o prognóstico relacionado a doença apresenta-se de maneira semelhante ao acometimento feminino. A sobrevivência tem relação direta com alguns fatores, como: o grau de diferenciação histológica, em que pacientes que apresentam um maior grau de diferenciação do tumor estão associados a um pior prognóstico; o estágio clínico da doença, visto que, lesões em estágios mais altos conferem uma pior resposta; o tamanho da lesão, o que representa que quanto maior o tumor, menores são as taxas de sobrevida em cinco anos; cânceres receptores hormonais positivos têm melhor prognóstico; e o status de acometimento linfonodal, associado a menor taxa de sobrevida em cinco anos 29 .…”