title: Male breast cancer: pathological and immunohistochemical features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  male breast cancer is uncommon and studies regarding the potential clinical relevance of the histopathological and immunohistochemical features are infrequently reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the biological characteristics of forty-one male patients with invasive breast cancer by assessing histopathological and multiple immunohistochemical features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority were no special type (ductal) (37/41), lobular cancer was not seen. 73% were histological grade 3, 93% were positive for oestrogen receptor and 73% for progesterone receptor. The proportion of cancers positive for c-ebB-2 (45%), EGFR (20%), p53 (58%), MiB1 (40%), NCRC11 (78%), were similar to reports for female breast cancer. Nonsignificant associations between poor survival outcome and grade 3 tumours, and positive tissue staining for MiB1 and p53 were seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While there ar similarities in the biological features of breast cancer in males and females, some differences were identified. Male breast cancer is more likely to be grade 3 tumours and hormone receptor positive.
authors.affiliation: Professorial Unit of Surgery, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Willsher
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Elston
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Blamey
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018396:Mucin-1; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53