Changing Trends in Male Breast Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Contractor Kaiyumars B, Kaur Kanchan, Rodrigues Gabriel S, Kulkarni Dhananjay M, Singhal Hemant
Primary Institution: Imperial College, London, UK
Hypothesis
Is the incidence of male breast cancer changing over time?
Conclusion
The incidence of male breast cancer is rising, particularly in urban areas of the US, Canada, and the UK.
Supporting Evidence
- The overall incidence of male breast cancer is around 1% of all breast cancers and is on the rise.
- Incidence data were obtained from the IARC, Cancer Mondial database.
- Geographic variation in incidence shows higher rates in the USA and UK compared to Finland and Japan.
- Conditions that alter the estrogen-testosterone ratio in males predispose to breast cancer.
- BRCA2 mutations are linked to hereditary breast cancer in males.
Takeaway
More men are getting breast cancer now than before, especially in cities. We need to learn more about why this is happening.
Methodology
Literature review of studies on male breast cancer from MEDLINE and Cancer Mondial databases over 32 years.
Potential Biases
Most data is based on small, single-institution studies or extrapolated from female breast cancer trials.
Limitations
The rarity of male breast cancer limits the ability to conduct large randomized trials.
Participant Demographics
Male breast cancer comprises about 1% of all breast cancers, with higher incidence in urban areas.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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