Metastasis pattern and prognosis of male breast cancer patients in US: a population-based study from SEER database

The aims of this study were to analyze the metastasis pattern and prognosis of male breast cancer (MBC) and compare it with female breast cancer (FBC), and to determine the independent factors affecting the prognosis of MBC patients.

Metastatic MBC diagnosed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2015 were selected. Chi-squared test was used to compare clinicopathological characteristics. Survival differences were compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the prognostic factors affecting overall survival.

A total of 2754 MBC patients were identified, of which 196 had distant metastasis. Compared with nonmetastatic MBC, metastatic MBC patients had a higher proportion of <60 years old and grade III-IV, and were more likely to receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while the proportion of surgery, central portion of the breast, and Her2-/HR+ was lower. Compared with metastatic FBC, metastatic MBC patients had a higher proportion of ⩾60 years old, central portion of the breast, surgery, simultaneous bone and lung metastasis, while the proportion of Her2+/HR-, triple negative, liver metastasis only, and simultaneous bone and liver metastasis was lower. MBC patients with lung alone, bone alone, and simultaneous lung and bone metastasis had a higher hazard ratio (2.41; 3.06; 2.52; p < 0.0001) compared with nonmetastatic patients.

Compared with nonmetastatic MBC patients, metastatic MBC patients had unique clinicopathological features, and were also different from metastatic FBC patients. However, there was no difference in prognosis between metastatic MBC and FBC patients. Distant metastasis was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MBC patients.