Male breast cancer

Breast cancer can also occur in men, but its incidence is a hundred times lower than in women.

Risk factors
Risk factors are similar to those in women and include older age, family breast cancer, exposure to higher estrogen or ionizing radiation, infertility or obesity. About 5% of cases are associated with Klinefelter's syndrome and reduced male gonadal function. About 10% of cases have been diagnosed with a germline mutation in the BRCA2 gene.

Clinical picture and pathology
The pathology of breast cancer in men is quite similar to that of breast cancer in women. However, ER (estrogen-receptor) positivity is much more common in men's cancer. The tumor usually presents as palpable subareolar mass or nipple discharge. Due to the small amount of breast tissue, the lesion is superficially and easily grows into the chest wall and into the skin with ulceration. The tumor metastasizes to the same sites as female breast cancer, predominantly to the lungs, brain, bones, and liver. Axillary lymph node metastases are present in approximately 50% of cases at the time of diagnosis. The prognosis is identical to the prognosis of breast cancer in women.

Related articles

 * Glandula mammae
 * Klinefelter's syndrome