MALE BREAST CANCER IN PAKISTAN: A SINGLE INSTITUTION EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Introduction: Due to its rarity, male breast cancer remains a poorly characterized disease and is managed on the guidelines of female breast cancer. We present data of 56 male breast cancer patients treated at the Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (IRNUM) in Peshawar, Pakistan during year 2018-2022.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at IRNUM Peshawar Pakistan, of male patients registered  1-1-2018 and 31-12-2022.

Results: A total of 56 male patients who presented over a period of 05 years were included. The most common tumor type was invasive ductal carcinoma (96.4%). The majority (36.8%) of the patients presented at stage III. Among the 56 patients who underwent surgery, only one patient had invasive lobular histopathology while one patient had Papillary CA variant. 31 out of the 56 patients (55%) were grade II while 25 patients (44.6%) were Grade III. Additionally, the majority of patients were pathologic stage III (n = 45/56, 80.4%), followed by stage IV (n = 11/46, 19.6%). Of the 48 cases that underwent molecular studies had estrogen receptor positivity, where 4 (8.3%) were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her 2+ive) while 44 (91.6%) were Her –ive.

Conclusion: Breast cancer in males presents at an advanced stage with poor survival. Multicenter studies are required to accurately identify incidence, prognostic factors, and outcomes in order to have a better understanding of its management.