Pharmacotherapy for male breast cancer

Breast cancer in males is uncommon, occurring at approxiamtely 1% of the rate of female breast cancer. Male breast carcinomas tend to be highly positive for hormone receptors, including oestrogen, progesterone and androgen receptors. Owing to this, hormone therapy is recommended as the primary treatment modality. Adjuvant therapy is recommended for male breast cancers with large size or positive axillary nodes. For metastatic disease, options for therapy include tamoxifen, orchiectomy, anti-androgens with or without luteinising hormone releasing hormone analogues or combination chemotherapy. The newer hormonal treatments, such as the selective aromatase inhibitors or novel antioestrogens, have not yet been well studied in male breast cancer but have potential for efficacy in this disease.