Purpose: We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the management and outcome of invasive male breast cancer treated in a single-institution over a period of 40 years.
Materials and methods: We reviewed the clinical and pathological features of 60 male patients affected by breast carcinoma treated at our Radiotherapy Unit between 1971 and 2011. Tumours were classified according to histological type and the updated 2010 TNM classification of malignant tumours.
Results: At a median follow-up of 8.9 [range, 0.6-20; standard deviation (SD), 4.98] years, 32 patients (53.3%) were alive and 16 patients died (26.7%) due to disease progression and 12 (20%) due to other causes. At univariate analysis for overall survival, pathological tumour size (p=0.031), histological subtype (p=0.013) and nodal status (p=0.006) emerged as significant predictors of death. At multivariate analysis, independent death predictors were advanced pathological tumour size (p=0.016), positive nodal status (p=0.003) and invasive cribriform histological type (p=0.0003).
Conclusions: In consideration of the rarity of the disease, many issues are still being debated, and future collaborative studies are required. However, our experience confirms the prognostic role of greater pathological tumour size and positive nodal status as unfavourable features for survival in male breast cancer.