A comparison outcome of male breast cancer with female breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
It 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.
Willsher
P C
PC
Department of Histopathology, City Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Leach
I H
IH
Ellis
I O
IO
Bourke
J B
JB
Blamey
R W
RW
Robertson
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome