Cancer of the male breast.

Abstract

Cancer of the breast in men is an infrequent but serious problem. The epidemiology and clinical features of the disease generally parallel those of breast cancer in women, but affected men tend to be older, have subareolar tumors, and present in more advanced stages. Treatment of men follows the trends for treatment of women, with less radical surgery and more frequent use of systemic adjuvant therapy. Stage and axillary nodal status are the most important prognostic indicators for men. Although overall survival rates of males remain inferior to those of women, the indications are that breast cancer in men is equally curable in comparable stages. Men need to be sensitive to the signs of breast cancer and seek early consultation.