Breast cancer is not just a woman's disease. Men can also get breast cancer, though it is rare. The lifetime risk of breast cancer for women is 1 in 8 and 1 in 1000 for men [78]. Prognosis for breast cancer in men is similar to that of breast cancer in women when age and cancer stage are taken into account (for more on cancer stage, see the Diagnosis section) [113].
For men, tumors most often occur under the nipple. The main treatment is mastectomy. Lumpectomy (also called breast conserving surgery) is rarely used because of the small size of the male breast. Some men may have radiation therapy following surgery.
The medical treatments for male breast cancer are similar to those for female breast cancer. Since most male breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive, tamoxifen is usually the first drug therapy used. Tamoxifen is taken in pill form for five years. If initial hormonal therapy fails, gonadotropin inhibitors may be used to lower hormone levels in the body. Depending on the stage of the cancer, chemotherapy may be given before tamoxifen therapy begins.
For men with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, chemotherapy is usually the initial drug therapy used [117].
Men with HER2/neu-positive breast cancers may be treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus a taxane-containing chemotherapy.
To learn more about mastectomy and lumpectomy, see Surgery.
For more on radiation therapy and its risks and benefits, see Radiation Therapy.
To learn more about chemotherapy and its risks and benefits, see Chemotherapy.
For more information about tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, see Hormone Therapies.
For more on breast cancer and benign breast conditions in men, see Breast Facts.
Updated 09/23/09
