Breast Cancer in Men - Health Care Professionals' Perspectives on the Multidisciplinary Care of a Rare Disease

Aim of the study Male breast cancer is a rare disease, for which, however, available care is from highly specialized care structures intended for female patients. So far, it is unknown whether the focus of care structures for women leads to deficits in the care for men. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify possible deficits in male breast cancer care from the perspective of the health care professions involved. Methods Semi-structured interviews with n = 23 participants and 2 focus group discussions with n = 7 and n = 9 participants were conducted. The transcripts of the interviews and focus group discussions were analyzed by qualitative content analysis using MAXQDA. Results Some participants felt insecure and uniformed in terms of treatment recommendations for men with breast cancer. Often, responsibilities were vague or unknown. Many participants felt a lack of interdisciplinary cooperation, especially in follow-up care. Some respondents complained of a lack of rehabilitation centers for men with breast cancer. Conclusion Male breast cancer patients benefit from the advanced structures for breast cancer care. However, some health care problems were identified. Our results together with representative data can help develop practical recommendations for improving the quality of care of male breast cancer patients.