Male Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)
[Back to top]General Information about Male Breast Cancer
Key Points:Male breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer)
cells form in the tissues of the breast.
Breast cancer may occur in
men. Men at any age may develop breast cancer, but it is usually detected
(found) in men between 60 and 70 years of age. Male breast cancer makes up less
than 1% of all cases of breast cancer.
The following types of breast cancer are found in men:
Lobular carcinoma in
situ (abnormal cells found in one of the
lobes or sections of the breast),
which sometimes occurs in women, has not been seen in men.
Anatomy of the male breast; drawing shows the nipple, areola, fatty tissue, ducts, nearby lymph nodes, ribs, and muscle.
Radiation exposure, high levels of estrogen, and a family
history of breast cancer can increase a man’s risk of developing breast cancer.
Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. People who think they may be at risk should discuss this with their doctor. Risk factors for breast
cancer in men may include the following:
Male breast cancer is sometimes caused by inherited gene
mutations (changes).
The genes in cells carry the hereditary information that is received from a person’s parents. Hereditary breast cancer makes up approximately 5% to 10% of all breast cancer. Some altered genes related to breast cancer are more common in certain ethnic groups.
Men who have an altered gene related to breast cancer have an increased risk of developing this disease.
Tests have been developed that can detect altered genes. These genetic tests are sometimes done for members of families with a high risk of cancer. See the following PDQ summaries for more information:
- Genetics of Breast and Ovarian Cancer
- Breast Cancer Prevention
- Breast Cancer Screening
Men with breast cancer usually have lumps that can be felt.
Lumps and other symptoms may be caused by male breast cancer. Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. Check with your doctor if you notice a change in your breasts.
Tests that examine the breasts are used to detect (find) and diagnose breast cancer in men.
The following tests and procedures may be used:
- Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient’s health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
- Clinical breast exam (CBE): An exam of the breast by a doctor or other health professional. The doctor will carefully feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
- Ultrasound exam: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The picture can be printed to be looked at later.
-
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
- Blood chemistry studies: A procedure in which a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body. An unusual (higher or lower than normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of disease in the organ or tissue that makes it.
- Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. The following are different types of biopsies:
If cancer is found, tests are done to study the cancer cells.
Decisions about the best treatment are based on the results of these tests. The tests give information about:
- How quickly the cancer may grow.
- How likely it is that the cancer will spread through the body.
- How well certain treatments might work.
- How likely the cancer is to recur (come back).
Tests include the following:
- Estrogen and progesterone receptor test: A test to measure the amount of estrogen and progesterone (hormones) receptors in cancer tissue. If cancer is found in the breast, tissue from the tumor is checked in the laboratory to find out whether estrogen and progesterone could affect the way cancer grows. The test results show whether hormone therapy may stop the cancer from growing.
- HER2 test: A test to measure the amount of HER2 in cancer tissue. HER2 is a growth factorprotein that sends growth signals to cells.
When cancer forms, the cells may make too much of the protein, causing more cancer cells to grow. If cancer is found in the breast, tissue from the tumor is checked in the laboratory to find out if there is too much HER2 in the cells. The test results show whether monoclonal antibodytherapy may stop the cancer from growing.
Survival for men with breast cancer is similar to survival for
women with breast cancer.
Survival for men with breast cancer is similar to that for women
with breast cancer when their stage
at diagnosis is the same. Breast
cancer in men, however, is often diagnosed at a later stage. Cancer found at a
later stage may be less likely to be cured.
Certain factors affect prognosis
(chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on
the following:
- The stage
of the cancer (whether it is in the breast only or has spread to other places
in the body).
- The type of breast cancer.
- Estrogen-receptor and progesterone-receptor levels in the tumor tissue.
- Whether the cancer is also found in the other breast.
- The patient’s age
and general health.
[Back to top]Stages of Male Breast Cancer
Key Points:After breast cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find
out if cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the
body.
After breast cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done
to find out if cancercells have spread within the breast or to other parts of
the body. This process is called staging.
The information gathered from the
staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. Breast cancer in men is staged
the same as it is in women. The spread of cancer from the breast to
lymph nodes and other parts of the
body appears to be similar in men and women.
The following tests and procedures may be used in
the staging process:
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy: The removal of the sentinel lymph node during surgery. The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from a tumor. It is the first lymph node the cancer is likely to spread to from the tumor. A radioactive substance and/or blue dye is injected near the tumor. The substance or dye flows through the lymph ducts to the lymph nodes. The first lymph node to receive the substance or dye is removed. A pathologist views the tissue under a microscope to look for cancer cells. If cancer cells are not found, it may not be necessary to remove more lymph nodes.
- Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
- CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
- Bone scan: A procedure to check if there are rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, in the bone. A very small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive material collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner.
- PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find malignanttumor cells in the body. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
The three ways that cancer spreads in the body are:
- Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue.
- Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
- Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.
The following stages are used for male breast cancer:
This section describes the stages of breast cancer. The breast cancer stage is based on the results of testing that is done on the tumor and lymph nodes removed during surgery and other tests.
Stage 0 (carcinoma in situ)
There are 3 types of breast carcinoma in situ:
Tumor size compared to everyday objects; shows various measurements of a tumor compared to a pea, peanut, walnut, and lime
Stage I
In stage I, cancer has formed. Stage I is divided into stages IA and IB.
Stage II
Stage II is divided into stages IIA and IIB.
Stage IIIA
In stage IIIA:
Stage IIIB
In stage IIIB, the
tumor may be any size and cancer has spread to the chest wall and/or to the skin of the breast and caused swelling or an ulcer. Also, cancer may have spread to :
Cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast may also be inflammatory breast cancer. See the section on Inflammatory Male Breast Cancer for more information.
Stage IIIC
In stage IIIC, no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor may be any size. Cancer may have spread to the skin of the breast and caused swelling or an ulcer and/or has spread to the chest wall. Also, cancer has spread to:
Cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast may also be inflammatory breast cancer. See the section on Inflammatory Male Breast Cancer for more information.
For treatment, stage IIIC breast cancer is divided into operable and inoperable stage IIIC.
Stage IV
In stage IV, cancer
has spread to other organs of the body, most often the bones,
lungs, liver, or brain.
[Back to top]Inflammatory Male Breast Cancer
In inflammatory breast
cancer, cancer has spread to the skin of the breast and the breast looks red and swollen and feels warm. The
redness and warmth occur because the cancercells block the lymph vessels in the skin. The skin of the breast
may also show the dimpled appearance called peau
d’orange (like the skin of an orange). There may not be any lumps in the breast that can be felt. Inflammatory breast cancer may be stage IIIB, stage IIIC, or stage IV.
[Back to top]Recurrent Male Breast Cancer
Recurrentbreast cancer is cancer that has recurred
(come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in
the breast, in the chest wall, or
in other parts of the body.
[Back to top]Treatment Option Overview
Key Points:There are different types of treatment for men with breast cancer.
Different types of treatment are available for men with breast
cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some
are being tested in clinical trials.
A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help
improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients
with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the
standard treatment, the new
treatment may become the standard treatment.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a
decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care team.
Four types of standard treatment are used to treat men with
breast cancer:
Surgery
Surgery for men with breast
cancer is usually a modified radical
mastectomy (removal of the breast, many of
the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest
muscles, and sometimes part of the chest
wall muscles).
Modified radical mastectomy. The drawing on the left shows the removal of the breast, most or all of the lymph nodes under the arm, the lining over the chest muscles and sometimes part of the chest wall muscles. The drawing on the right shows a cross-section of the breast including the chest wall (ribs and muscle), fatty tissue, and the tumor.
Breast-conserving
surgery, an operation to remove the cancer but not the breast
itself, is also used for some men with breast cancer. A lumpectomy is done to remove the tumor (lump) and a small amount of normal tissue around it. Radiation therapy is given after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left.
Breast-conserving surgery; drawing shows removal of the tumor and axillary lymph nodes.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
See Drugs Approved for Breast Cancer for more information.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances made by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream. Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. If tests show that the cancer cells have places where hormones can attach (receptors), drugs, surgery, or radiation therapy is used to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working.
See Drugs Approved for Breast Cancer for more information.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical
trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. Monoclonal antibodytherapy is a type of targeted therapy being studied in the treatment of male breast cancer.
Monoclonal antibody therapy uses antibodies made in the laboratory from a single type of immune system cell. These antibodies can identify substances on cancer cells or normal substances that may help cancer cells grow. The antibodies attach to the substances and kill the cancer cells, block their growth, or keep them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies are given by infusion. They may be used alone or to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive material directly to cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies are also used in combination with chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy (treatment given after surgery to lower the risk that the cancer will come back).
Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the effects of the growth factorproteinHER2.
[Back to top]Treatment Options for Male Breast Cancer
Breast cancer in men is
treated the same as breast cancer in women. (See the PDQ summary on
Breast Cancer Treatment
for more information.)
[Back to top]Initial Surgery
Treatment for men diagnosed with breast cancer is usually modified radical
mastectomy. Breast-conserving surgery with lumpectomy may be used for some men.
[Back to top]Adjuvant Therapy
Therapy given after an operation when cancercells can no longer be seen is
called adjuvant
therapy. Even if the doctor removes all the
cancer that can be seen at the time of the operation, the patient may be given
radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and/or targeted therapy after surgery, to try
to kill any cancer cells that may be left.
- Node-negative: For
men whose cancer is node-negative (cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes),
adjuvant therapy should be considered on the same basis as for a woman with
breast cancer because there is no evidence that response to therapy is
different for men and women.
- Node-positive:
For men whose cancer is node-positive (cancer has spread to the lymph nodes),
adjuvant therapy may include the following:
These treatments appear to increase survival in men as they do in
women. The patient’s response to hormone therapy depends on whether there are
hormonereceptors (proteins) in the tumor. Most breast cancers in men have these
receptors. Hormone therapy is usually recommended for male breast cancer
patients, but it can have many side effects, including hot flashes and
impotence (the inability to have an erection adequate for sexual
intercourse).
[Back to top]Distant Metastases
Treatment for men with distant
metastases (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) may be hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or both.
Hormone therapy may include the following:
Hormone therapies may be used in sequence (one after the other).
Standard chemotherapy regimens may
be used if hormone therapy does not work. Men usually respond to therapy in the
same way as women who have breast cancer.
[Back to top]Treatment Options for Locally Recurrent Male Breast Cancer
For men with locallyrecurrent disease (cancer that has come back in a
limited area after treatment), treatment is usually either:
[Back to top]To Learn More About Male Breast Cancer
For more information from the National Cancer Institute about male breast cancer, see the following:
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:
[Back to top]Changes to This Summary (12/10/2012)
The PDQcancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Editorial changes were made to this summary.