title: Metastatic male breast cancer: a retrospective cohort analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metastasized male breast cancer (MMBC) is a rare disease. Given its low incidence, data regarding tumor biology, current treatment options, and survival rates are scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  A chart review was performed of MMBC patients consecutively registered in regional cancer registries in Germany between 1995 and 2011. Tumor characteristics, treatment, and survival rates were documented and statistically evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  41 men with MMBC represented 25.6% of a total of 160 patients with MBC. 16 (39%) patients showed primary metastases, and 25 (61%) had recurrent metastases. Median survival from occurrence of metastasis was 32 months. Median overall survival (OS) was 68 months. 68.3% (n = 28) of the cohort received systemic therapy favoring endocrine therapy (n = 25, 61.9%). Prolonged metastatic OS (p = 0.02) was observed in patients having had a systemic treatment. Metastatic patients having received endocrine treatment showed significantly prolonged survival rates. Furthermore, patients receiving palliative chemotherapy had a significant survival benefit compared to those in whom chemotherapy was omitted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that systemic treatment in the form of both palliative chemotherapy and endocrine therapy improves outcome of R. Foerster and L. Schroeder contributed equally to this article and are listed in alphabetical order. MMBC. Therefore, it seems reasonable that treatment of MMBC should be based on the guidelines for female breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital, Center of Integrated Oncology (CIO) Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: Department of Economic Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, Zwickau, Germany ; Outpatient Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Poliklinik GmbH, Chemnitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.affiliation: Cancer Register of Southwest Saxony, Zwickau, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.affiliation: Cancer Register of Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schubotz
authors.affiliation: Cancer Register of Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany ; Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baaske
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital, Center of Integrated Oncology (CIO) Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rudlowski
keywords: Male breast cancer; Metastasis; Prognosis