Treatment results in males with breast cancer

Abstract

Between 1948 and 1978, 39 previously untreated males with breast cancer received curative treatment at M. D. Anderson Hospital; an additional 30 males were referred for first treatment failure after outside definitive treatment. Of 21 patients who were treated with mastectomy, six had radical mastectomy alone, and 15 had radical mastectomy and postoperative irradiation. Of 18 patients who had less than radical surgery and postoperative irradiation to the chest wall and peripheral lymphatic areas, 7 had simple mastectomy, 3 excision biopsy and 8 had needle biopsy. Chest wall recurrences developed in four of six patients with grave signs treated with radical mastectomy, one had a recurrence in an unirradiated chest wall following peripheral lymphatic irradiation and three others had orthovoltage irradiation of 2400, 3000, and 4200 rad. No local or regional recurrences had developed in patients treated with simple mastectomy, excision, or needle biopsy, and radiation therapy to the chest wall and peripheral lymphatics. The ten-year disease-free survival (Kaplan-Meier) is 50% for the entire group, 70% for patients with histologically or a clinically negative axilla, and 34% for those patients with histologically or clinically positive axilla. Recommendations for the management of primary and regional disease are reviewed.

Male breast cancer: is the scenario changing

“…Interpretation of results from the literature is difficult because most of the studies do not have matched controls for tumour size, nodal status or stage. There have been recommendations for its routine use as it is felt that lack of sufficient breast tissue prevents wide clearance margins on surgery [ 131 , 132 ]. Some studies have even suggested routine inclusion of the internal mammary chain in the radiation field [ 133 ].…”

Male breast cancer: a review of clinical management

“…Radiotherapy Since MBCs are predominantly central in location, adjuvant radiotherapy may include the internal mammary nodes in addition to the routine fields used in women [78,[113][114][115]. In one series, there was no loco regional relapse in five patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy in contrast to the two relapses in three patients who underwent surgery alone [113].…”

Male breast carcinoma: radiotherapy contributed to favorable local control in two cases and related literature review

“…In the past, radiotherapy was performed for all the postoperative MBC patients in view of inadequate surgical margin due to the lack of breast tissue [ 13 , 15 ]. Yu et al also indicated that postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) bring significantly better local relapse free survival rather than OS benefit, especially for individuals with high risk factors such as ≤2 mm or unknown surgical margin, advanced stage and lymph node metastasis [ 16 ].…”