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Annals of Surgical Oncology
Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology 4/2014

01-04-2014 | Breast Oncology

Male Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Comparison with Female Breast Cancer in Hong Kong, Southern China: 1997–2006

Authors: Ava Kwong, BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRCS, Wai Wang Chau, BSc (Hons), MSc (EPI & BIOSTAT), Oscar W. K. Mang, MSc, CStat, Connie H. N. Wong, MSc (EPI & BIOSTAT), BSc (STA), Dacita T. K. Suen, MBBS, R. Leung, MBCHB MRCP, Kerry Wong, BSc(Hons)(UOM), MBiostats(UOM), Andrea Lee, Catherine Shea, MBBS, Elliot Morse, Stephen C. K. Law, MBBS, FRCR, The Hong Kong Breast Cancer Research Group

Published in: Annals of Surgical Oncology | Issue 4/2014

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Abstract

Background

Male breast cancer (MBC) is uncommon. As a result, there is limited availability of studies and reviews and even fewer reports from Asia. This is the largest population-based study to compare Chinese MBC patients with female patients during a 10-year period in Hong Kong, Southern China.

Methods

A retrospective review of medical records of 132 male and 8,118 female breast cancer patients between year 1997 and 2006 in Hong Kong was performed. Each MBC patient was matched with three female breast cancer patients for further analysis. Different characteristics, overall, breast-cancer specific, and disease-free survivals (DFS) were compared.

Results

Mean age at diagnosis of male and female patients was 64.5 and 52.7 years respectively. Male patients showed lower histological grade, overall stage, smaller tumor size, and more positive sensitivity in hormone receptors. They were more likely to die of causes other than breast cancer. Matched analysis found that the 5-year overall survival (OS), breast-cancer–specific mortality, and DFS for male and female patients were 78.7, 90.5, 90.5, and 77.9, 86.4, and 81.4 % respectively. Male patients had poorer OS at early overall stage but better breast-cancer—specific mortality rates at any age (p < 0.01). Male patients had a significant risk of dying due to any cause in the presence of distant relapse and had less risk of dying when tumor was ER-positive and HER2-positive.

Conclusions

Chinese male breast cancer patients tend to have poorer OS but better breast-cancer—specific survival compared with their female counterparts.
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Metadata
Title
Male Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Comparison with Female Breast Cancer in Hong Kong, Southern China: 1997–2006
Authors
Ava Kwong, BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRCS
Wai Wang Chau, BSc (Hons), MSc (EPI & BIOSTAT)
Oscar W. K. Mang, MSc, CStat
Connie H. N. Wong, MSc (EPI & BIOSTAT), BSc (STA)
Dacita T. K. Suen, MBBS
R. Leung, MBCHB MRCP
Kerry Wong, BSc(Hons)(UOM), MBiostats(UOM)
Andrea Lee
Catherine Shea, MBBS
Elliot Morse
Stephen C. K. Law, MBBS, FRCR
The Hong Kong Breast Cancer Research Group
Publication date
01-04-2014
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Annals of Surgical Oncology / Issue 4/2014
Print ISSN: 1068-9265
Electronic ISSN: 1534-4681
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-013-3377-8

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