Clinical Features of Male Breast Cancer: Experiences from Seven Institutions Over 20 Years.
- Author:
Ji Hyung HONG
1
;
Kyung Sun HA
;
Yun Hwa JUNG
;
Hye Sung WON
;
Ho Jung AN
;
Guk Jin LEE
;
Donghoon KANG
;
Ji Chan PARK
;
Sarah PARK
;
Jae Ho BYUN
;
Young Jin SUH
;
Jeong Soo KIM
;
Woo Chan PARK
;
Sang Seol JUNG
;
Il Young PARK
;
Su Mi CHUNG
;
In Sook WOO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Male breast neoplasms; Survival; Prognosis
- MeSH: Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms, Male*; Carcinoma, Ductal; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Korea; Male; Male*; Mastectomy; Precision Medicine; Prognosis; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor; Retrospective Studies; Tamoxifen; Trastuzumab
- From:Cancer Research and Treatment 2016;48(4):1389-1398
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: Breast cancer treatment has progressed significantly over the past 20 years. However, knowledge regarding male breast cancer (MBC) is sparse because of its rarity. This study is an investigation of the clinicopathologic features, treatments, and clinical outcomes of MBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical records of 59 MBC patients diagnosed during 1995-2014 from seven institutions in Korea were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Over a 20-year period, MBC patients accounted for 0.98% among total breast cancer patients, and increased every 5 years. The median age of MBC patientswas 66 years (range, 24 to 87 years). Forty-three patients (73%) complained of a palpable breast mass initially. The median symptom duration was 5 months (range, 1 to 36 months). Mastectomy was performed in 96% of the patients. The most frequent histology was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (75%). Ninety-one percent of tumors (38/43) were estrogen receptor–positive, and 28% (11/40) showed epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) overexpression. After curative surgery, 42% of patients (19/45) received adjuvant chemotherapy; 77% (27/35) received hormone therapy. Five out of ten patients with HER-2 overexpressing tumors did not receive adjuvant anti–HER-2 therapy, while two out of four patients with HER-2 overexpressing tumors received palliative trastuzumab for recurrent and metastatic disease. Letrozole was used for one patient in the palliative setting. The median overall survival durations were 7.2 years (range, 0.6 to 17.0 years) in patients with localized disease and 2.9 years (range, 0.6 to 4.3 years) in those with recurrent or metastatic disease. CONCLUSION: Anti–HER-2 and hormonal therapy, except tamoxifen, have been underutilized in Korean MBC patients compared to female breast cancer patients. With the development of precision medicine, active treatment with targeted agents should be applied. Further investigation of the unique pathobiology of MBC is clinically warranted.
