Male Breast Cancer: 20 Years Experience of a Tertiary Hospital from the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Male breast cancer is a rare neoplasm, and its treatments are based on those of female breastcancer. This study aimed to analyze 20 years of male breast cancer clinical characteristics and treatment resultsfrom the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: A retrospective analysis of 16 male breastcancer patients treated in our tertiary hospital between 1994 and 2014 was performed. Epidemiologic data, tumorcharacteristics, and treatments were recorded and compared with 466 female breast cancer ((premenopausal; n= 230) + (postmenopausal n = 236)) patients. The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were calculated.<br/><b>Results</b>: Male breast cancer constituted 0.1% of all malignant neoplasms in both sexes, 0.2% of all malignantneoplasms in males, and 0.7% of all breast cancers. The mean patient age in this study was 59.8 ± 9.5 (39-74)years. The mean time between first symptom and diagnosis was 32.4 ± 5.3 (3-60) months. Histology revealedinfiltrative ductal carcinoma in 81.3% of patients. The most common detected molecular subtype was luminalA, in 12 (75%) patients. Estrogen receptor rate (93.8%) in male breast cancer patients was significantly higherthan that in female breast cancer (70.8% in all females, p = 0.003; 68.2% in postmenopausal females, p = 0.002)patients. Most of the tumors (56.3%) were grade 2. Tumor stage was T4 in 50% of males. The majority (56.3%)of the patients were stage III at diagnosis. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine-therapy wereapplied to 62.5%, 62.5%, 81.2% and 73.3%, respectively. Loco-regional failure did not occur in any of thecases. All recurrences were metastastic. The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates in male breast cancerpatients were 58% and 68%, respectively. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Tumors found in male breast cancer patients were similarin size to tumors found in females, but they advanced to T4 stage more rapidly because of the lack of breastparenchymal tissues. The rate of estrogen receptor expression tended to be higher in male breast cancer patientsthan in female breast cancer patients. Metastasis is the most important problem in initially non-metastatic malebreast cancer patients.