Radiotherapy of Male Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease. This study reports the results of a treatment including radiotherapy of a single institution. Material and Methods: The hospital charts of 23 patients with nonmetastatic MBC treated from 1971 to 1991 were reviewed. The tumor was located centrally or medially in 10 patients. Tumor classification: Tis C3 n =1, pT1 n = 2, pT2 n = 8, T2 C3 n =1, pT3 n = 4, pT4 n = 6, unknown n =1, cN0 n = 8, cN+ n =1, pN0 n = 5, pN+ n = 9. Biopsy only was performed in 2 patients, tumorectomy in 2 patients and radical or modified radical mastectomy in 19 patients. Radiotherapy was given to the chest wall (median total dose 46 Gy) in all patients but two (who had only irradiation of the nodes) and to the axillary/supraclavicular nodes (median total dose 48 Gy) in all patients but two (who had only chest wall irradiation). In 5 patients radiation of the mammaria interna nodes was added to the supraclavicular field (median total dose 48 Gy). 5 patients with known receptor status were treated with adjuvant hormone therapy. Median follow-up was 62 (6–182) months. Results: 19 patients died, 15 with tumor. The median overall survival time was 63 months, the disease-specific 5-year and 10-year survival rate was 69% and 35%, respectively. There were 3 chest wall relapses in one of two nonirradiated patients and in one of two only irradiated patients, respectively. Distant metastases occurred in 12 patients. Conclusion: This study supports adjuvant radiotherapy for treatment of advanced male breast cancer.