Original article
English
El-Habbash MM, Alwindi AA.
Oncology Department, Department of Medicine, Tripoli Medical Center, Tripoli, Libya. manal_elhabbsh@yahoo.com
Saudi Med J. 2009 Aug;30(8):1060-2.
Abstract
Objective: To study the epidemiology, characteristics, and survival of male breast cancer patients. Methods: This non-randomized retrospective study includes male patients with breast cancer confirmed by biopsy. A total of 1568 breast cancer patients were registered in the Oncology Department, Tripoli Medical Center, Tripoli, Libya between January 1990 to June 2008. Twenty-two patients were male (1.4%). Results: The mean age of male breast cancer patients was 61 years. They tend to have advanced local disease, as 65% of them were tumor (T)3 and T4, and 93.3% have positive lymph nodes. The preferred surgical treatment was mastectomy and axillary clearance in 65%, and 85% had invasive duct carcinoma. Regarding hormone receptor status, 70% were estrogen and progesterone positive. A total of 71% received chemotherapy as anthracycline based. During follow up, the overall recurrence rate was 47%. The bone was the most common site of relapse (37.5%). Overall survival rate was 82.4% at first, 76.5% at second, and 57% at fifth year. Two patients were brothers, and one of them developed multiple myeloma during follow up. Conclusion: In comparison to female patients with breast cancer, male patients are older, and have more advanced and more hormone positive disease.
Keywords: Male breast cancer in Tripoli, Libya.
Link/DOI: http://www.smj.org.sa/DetailArticle.asp?ArticleId=4708