A comparison outcome of male breast cancer with female breast cancer

BACKGROUND: If is unclear whether breast cancer has a similar prognosis in males and females. METHODS: A 20-year retrospective study of all male breast cancer patients in our region was undertaken. We compared this series with a group of females matched for the major prognostic factors and an unmatched series of female patients treated over the same period. RESULTS: Forty-one patients with invasive cancer and 2 with ductal carcinoma in situ were identified. One invasive cancer was treated with radiotherapy, 40 had surgery. Local recurrence occurred in 23% and axillary recurrence in 40% of cases. Male and female patients (n = 123) matched for the major prognostic factors showed a similar outcome for disease-free interval (P = 0.90) and survival (P = 0.27). However, both the above groups had a significantly worse outcome than the unmatched series of female patients with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: When prognostic factors are allowed for, male and female breast cancer patients have a similar outcome. This suggests that such features should be taken into account when determining management for males with breast cancer just as they are in females. (C) 1997 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.