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[Male breast cancer]
Katsumasa Kuroi1, Masakazu Toi
1Dept. of Surgery, Toyosu Hospital, Showa University.
Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer & Chemotherapy
|June 11, 2003
Summary
Male breast cancer, though rare, shares similarities with female breast cancer but presents later in life. Treatment strategies, including surgery and hormone therapy, are effective, with a prognosis comparable to females when matched for age and stage.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Men's Health
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Male breast cancer is a rare condition, accounting for less than 1% of all breast cancer cases.
- Knowledge regarding male breast cancer is largely extrapolated from studies on female breast cancer.
- It typically affects men around age 60, a decade later than women, often presenting as a painless subareolar mass.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of male breast cancer, including its epidemiology, pathology, treatment, and prognosis.
- To highlight key differences and similarities between male and female breast cancer.
- To identify areas for future research in male breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on male breast cancer.
- Analysis of clinical presentation, diagnostic methods (mammography, ultrasonography), and pathological subtypes (predominantly invasive ductal carcinoma).
- Evaluation of treatment modalities including surgery (modified radical mastectomy), adjuvant therapies (hormonal manipulation, chemotherapy), and palliative care.
Main Results:
- Male breast cancer predominantly occurs in older men, often presenting as larger tumors than in women.
- Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common subtype; lobular carcinoma is rare.
- Hormonal therapy (tamoxifen) and chemotherapy (CMF, anthracycline-based regimens) are standard adjuvant treatments due to high hormone-receptor positivity.
- Prognosis is comparable to females when age and stage are matched.
- Expression of p53, c-erbB-2, angiogenesis, and the presence of BRCA2 mutations are noted in male breast cancer.
Conclusions:
- Male breast cancer management can be guided by principles established for female breast cancer, with hormonal therapy being crucial.
- While prognosis is similar to females for matched cases, further research is needed to understand its unique biologic and molecular properties.
- Optimal treatment strategies require further investigation, considering factors like BRCA2 mutations and molecular markers.