Breast cancer (male)

Breast cancer is often thought of as a condition that only affects women, but men can also develop the condition. However, male breast cancer is much less common than female breast cancer.

The most common symptom of male breast cancer is the development of a lump in the breast, which is usually painless.

How common is male breast cancer?

Male breast cancer is a rare form of cancer, accounting for less than 1% of breast cancer cases. There are an approximately 240 new cases of male breast cancer in the UK each year.

Most cases of male breast cancer develop in men who are 65 years of age, or over, although cases have been recorded in men aged who are between 20-90 years of age.

The causes of male breast cancer are still poorly understood, but a number of risk factors have been identified.

Certain genetic mutations (alterations in the normal pattern of genes) that a man can inherit from his parents can increase his risk of developing breast cancer.

Exposure to the hormone oestrogen (a hormone that plays an important role in the female reproductive system) has also been linked to an increased risk of male breast cancer.

Outlook

As with most cancers, the outlook for male breast cancer depends on how far the cancer has advanced at the stage of diagnosis.

This can be a problem because as a result of the widespread lack of knowledge about male breast cancer, many men do not visit their GP until they experience additional symptoms, such as breast pain, by which time the cancer has usually reached an advanced stage.

Healthcare professionals assess the outlook for cases of male breast cancer by measuring how many people survive for five years following the initial diagnosis. This is known as ‘the five year survival rate’. However, many men who are diagnosed with male breast cancer survive for much longer than five years.

The estimated five year survival rate:

• for early-stage male breast cancer is 75-100%.
• for mid-stage male breast cancer is 50-80%, and
• for advanced-stage male breast cancer is 30-60%.

There are a number of different treatments that can be used to treat male breast cancer, and achieving a permanent cure is often possible. These include surgery, radiotherapy, and a type of medication called tamoxifen.