Analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of 72 Chinese male patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Objective:The characteristics of male breast cancer (MBC),which is a rare disease,are different between Western and Eastern people.Up until now almost all the information about Chinese MBC has been based on small samples. The aim of this study is to explore the characteristics of Chinese MBC based on a relatively larger sample.Methods: Clinical data of 72 patients with MBC,who were histopathologically confirmed and treated at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University between January 1969 and March 2009,were collected.The clinicopathologic features,locoregional recurrence rate,metastatic rate,and 5-year survival rate were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the predominant pathological subtype,accounting for 81.9%.The positive rates of ER,PR,and HER-2 were 90.9%, 84.8%,and 3.3%,respectively.Mass in the breast was the major initial sign in 98.5% patients and was mainly located in the areola area,accounting for 69.8%.About 67.6% patients received radical mastectomy,22.1% received modified radical mastectomy;50% received adjuvant chemotherapy,15.3% received neoadjuvant therapy;19.4% patients received adjuvant radiotherapy,and 44.4% received endocrine therapy.The 5-year overall survival rate of the whole group was 72.4%. The 5-year overall survival rates for stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ were 100%,74.2%,57.2%,and 0,respectively.About 12.5% of patients suffered locoregional recurrence at 12 months,and 12.5% of patients had distant metastasis at 14 months.Conclusion: The characteristics of Chinese MBC include a predominant pathological subtype of infiltrating ductal carcinoma, higher expression rate of ER and PR and lower expression rate of HER-2.Comprehensive treatment with primary surgery integrated with chemotherapy,radiotherapy or endocrine therapy provides a better prognosis.