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Table of Contents General Information about Male Breast Cancer
Stages of Male Breast Cancer
Recurrent Male Breast Cancer
Treatment Option Overview
Treatment Options
Treatment Options for Locally Recurrent Disease
Changes to This Summary (12/16/2003)
To Learn More
About PDQ
General Information about Male Breast Cancer
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Male breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer)
cells form in the tissues of the breast.
Breast cancer may occur in
men. Men at any age may develop breast cancer, but it is usually detected
(found) in men between 60 and 70 years of age. Male breast cancer makes up less
than 1% of all cases of breast cancer.
The following types of breast cancer are found in men:
Lobular carcinoma in
situ (abnormal cells found in one of the
lobes or sections of the breast),
which sometimes occurs in women, has not been seen in men.
Radiation exposure, high levels of estrogen, and a family
history of breast cancer can affect a man’s risk of developing breast cancer.
Risk factors for breast
cancer in men may include the following:
- Exposure to radiation.
- Having a disease related to high levels of
estrogen in the body, such as
cirrhosis (liver disease) or Klinefelter’s syndrome (a
genetic disorder).
- Having several female relatives who have had breast cancer,
especially relatives who have an alteration of the BRCA2 gene.
Male breast cancer is sometimes caused by inherited gene
mutations (changes).
Tests that examine the breasts are used to detect (find) and diagnose breast cancer in men.
A doctor should be seen if changes in the breasts are noticed.
Typically, men with breast cancer have lumps that can be felt. A
biopsy can be done to check for
cancer. The following are different types of biopsies:
- Needle biopsy: The removal of part of a lump, suspicious tissue, or fluid, using a thin needle. This procedure is also called a fine-needle aspiration
biopsy.
- Core
biopsy: The removal of part of a lump or suspicious tissue using a wide needle.
- Excisional
biopsy: The removal of an entire lump or suspicious tissue.
After the tissue or fluid has been removed, a pathologist views it under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Survival for men with breast cancer is similar to survival for
women with breast cancer.
Survival for men with breast cancer is similar to that for women
with breast cancer when their stage
at diagnosis is the same. Breast
cancer in men, however, is often diagnosed at a later stage. Cancer found at a
later stage may be less likely to be cured.
Certain factors affect prognosis
(chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on
the following: - The stage
of the cancer (whether it is in the breast only or has spread to other places
in the body).
- The type of breast cancer.
- Certain characteristics of the cancer
cells.
- Whether the cancer is found in the other breast.
- The patient’s age
and general health.
 Back to Top Stages of Male Breast Cancer
After breast cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done
to find out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of
the body. This process is called staging.
The information gathered from the
staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. Breast cancer in men is staged
the same as it is in women. (Refer to the PDQ summary on
Breast Cancer Treatment
for more information.) The spread of cancer from the breast to
lymph nodes and other parts of the
body appears to be similar in men and women.
Back to Top Recurrent Male Breast Cancer
Recurrent breast
cancer is cancer that has recurred
(come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in
the breast, in the chest wall, or
in other parts of the body.
Back to Top Treatment Option Overview
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There are different types of treatment for men with breast cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for men with breast
cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some
are being tested in clinical trials.
Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a
clinical trial. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help
improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients
with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the
“standard” treatment, the new
treatment may become the standard treatment
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Cancer.gov Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a
decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.
Four types of standard treatment are used to treat men with
breast cancer:
Surgery
Surgery for men with breast
cancer is usually a modified radical
mastectomy (removal of the breast, some of
the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest
muscles, and sometimes part of the chest
wall muscles). Some of the lymph
nodes under
the arm may also be removed and examined under a microscope.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly in the spinal column, a body cavity such as the abdomen, or an organ, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. The presence of some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. If tests show that the cancer cells have places where hormones can attach (receptors), drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy are used to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Other types of treatment are being tested in clinical
trials.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Cancer.gov Web site.
Back to Top Treatment Options
Breast cancer in men is
treated the same as breast cancer in women. (Refer to the PDQ summary on
Breast Cancer Treatment
for more information.)
Initial Surgery
Most men diagnosed with breast cancer will receive a
modified radical
mastectomy (removal of the breast, some of
the lymph nodes under the arm, the
lining over the chest muscles, and sometimes part of the
chest wall muscles).
Adjuvant Therapy
Therapy given after an operation when cancer
cells can no longer be seen is
called adjuvant
therapy. Even if the doctor removes all the
cancer that can be seen at the time of the operation, the patient may be given
radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, and/or
hormone therapy after surgery to try
to kill any cancer cells that may be left.
- Node-negative: For
men whose cancer is node-negative (cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes),
adjuvant therapy should be considered on the same basis as for a woman with
breast cancer because there is no evidence that response to therapy is
different for men and women.
- Node-positive:
For men whose cancer is node-positive (cancer has spread to the lymph nodes),
adjuvant therapy may include the following:
- Chemotherapy
plus tamoxifen (to block the effect
of estrogen).
- Other hormone therapy.
These treatments appear to increase survival in men as they do in
women. The patient’s response to hormone therapy depends on the presence of
hormone receptors (proteins) in the tumor. Most breast cancers in men have these
receptors. Hormone therapy is usually recommended for male breast cancer
patients, but it can have many side effects, including hot flashes and
impotence (the inability to have an erection adequate for sexual
intercourse).
Distant Metastases
For men with distant
metastases (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body),
hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of both has shown some success.
Hormone therapy may include the following:
Hormone therapies may be used in sequence (one after the other).
Standard chemotherapy regimens may
be used if hormone therapy does not work. Men usually respond to therapy in the
same way as women who have breast cancer.
Back to Top Treatment Options for Locally Recurrent Disease
For men with locally recurrent disease (cancer that has come back in a
limited area after treatment), treatment is usually either:
Back to Top Changes to This Summary (12/16/2003)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Editorial changes were made to this summary.
Back to Top To Learn More
Call For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions. Web sites and Organizations The NCI's Cancer.gov Web site provides online access to information on cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations that offer support and resources for cancer patients and their families. There are also many other places where people can get materials and information about cancer treatment and services. Local hospitals may have information on local and regional agencies that offer information about finances, getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems associated with cancer treatment. Publications The NCI has booklets and other materials for patients, health professionals, and the public. These publications discuss types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with cancer, and clinical trials. Some publications provide information on tests for cancer, cancer causes and prevention, cancer statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI materials on these and other topics may be ordered online or printed directly from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials can also be ordered by telephone from the Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), TTY at 1-800-332-8615. LiveHelp The NCI's LiveHelp service, a program available on several of the Institute's Web sites, provides Internet users with the ability to chat online with an Information Specialist. The service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Information Specialists can help Internet users find information on NCI Web sites and answer questions about cancer. Write For more information from the NCI, please write to this address: - NCI Public Inquiries Office
- Suite 3036A
- 6116 Executive Boulevard, MSC8322
- Bethesda, MD 20892-8322
Back to Top About PDQ
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on Cancer.gov. PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available online at Cancer.gov, the NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for biomedical research. PDQ contains cancer information summaries. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions provide current and accurate cancer information. The PDQ cancer information summaries are developed by cancer experts and reviewed regularly. Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information becomes available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") indicates the time of the most recent change. PDQ also contains information on clinical trials. Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about new treatments, the risks involved, and how well they do or do not work. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available online at Cancer.gov. Descriptions of the trials are available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
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