Objectives: To characterise male breast carcinoma among black South Africans and to compare the findings with those for white males in the same area.
Methodology: Data were prospectively collected for all patients presenting to the Johannesburg Hospital breast clinics over a 14-year period. The breast clinics see all patients from Johannesburg and the surrounding area, both from government hospitals and private clinics. Sixty-nine black, 20 white and 2 Asian males were found to have breast carcinoma during this period.
Results: Although black males presented with a longer history of symptoms than white males (median 12 v. 2 months), and at a later stage of their disease (> 80% v. 40% stage III or IV), there did not appear to be any fundamental differences in the disease between the two groups. Median age at presentation (59 v. 62 years) was not significantly different, the spectrum of histopathological types was similar, and 5-year survival stage for stage was the same: 88% for stage I, 50% for stage II, 27% for stage III, and 5% for stage IV. The incidence of carcinoma among black males appeared to be the same as for white males, but there did seem to be a decreased incidence of breast carcinoma in the black female population.
Conclusions: There are no true differences between breast carcinoma occurring in black and white South African males. Previous African reports have suggested an increased incidence of breast carcinoma in black males because the figures have only been compared with those for black females.