Often more deadly male breast cancer, study suggests

(Friday, 4 may HealthDay News) - male breast Cancer is much less common that it is among women, but can be more deadly, suggests new research.

"Men with breast cancer do not and women with breast cancer, and there are opportunities for improvement," said study author Dr. Jon Greif, a San Francisco breast surgeon. "They were less likely to get the standard treatment that women menstruating.".

For men with cancer, in all, survival rates are lower than those of women, at least when found in the early stages, Greif diagnosis. Cancers differ in other respects.

Greif was to present his findings Friday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons in Phoenix.

Greif and his team of care, however, that some differences are not may wear in clinical practice.

A major limitation to research: the database, they drew guard trace which breast cancer patients die, but not what they are dead. It is therefore impossible to say that if they died of their cancer or something, he explained.

Although many men is not always aware they can get breast cancer, about 2 200 new cases of male breast cancer are expected this year, according to the American Cancer Society. The company believes 410 men will die of breast cancer in 2012 at the United States.

Greif compares to about 13,000 men with breast cancer identified from the national database of Cancer, more than 1.4 million women with the cancer. The data covered from 1998 to 2007.

Researchers evaluated characteristics of cancer and survival rates, age of account, ethnicity and other factors.

Men with breast cancer were more likely to be black and women with breast cancer (11.7% from 9.9%) and less likely to be Hispanic (3.6% against 4.5%), the researchers found.

In addition, men were older at diagnosis--63, on average, compared to 59 for women.

Men tumors were larger when a diagnosis; they were more likely to have tumors of later stage, involvement of the lymph nodes, spreads to other parts of the body and other differences.

Men with breast cancer were less likely to get a partial mastectomy and receive radiation, the study found.

Greif also concluded that survival at 5 years in all of the women was 83%, but men was 74%. Who was looking for all cancers of the breast, whatever the stage.

When the team watched Greif survival step by step, women with early stage cancer had better survival rates than men at an early stage of the disease. The gap closed when men and women had more advanced disease.

"Women are encouraged to obtain breast exams [and] mammograms" Greif said. This is why cancers are often diagnosed earlier, when tumors are smaller, he said. Increased awareness of male breast cancer is crucial.

The study is valuable in highlighting the differences between the sexes, even with its limitations, said Dr. Susan Boolbol, Chief of the division of breast surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.

"Over the years, it was thought that step for the stage, women and men had equal results," said Boolbol. New research concludes otherwise and includes the largest number of men with breast than many previous studies, she noted.

Lack of information on the cause of death is a major limitation of the conclusion, she said. Despite this, "it is a very interesting study and... it will open the door to more research in male breast cancer."

The study may also raise awareness that men can develop breast cancer indeed, said Boolbol.

Men should be aware of the possible symptoms of breast cancer, suggests the American Cancer Society. Among them: a lump or swelling, dimpling or puckering, a shift to the inside of the nipple, scaling of the nipple or breast skin, redness of the nipple or breast skin and the nipple discharge.

Data presented at medical meetings are considered generally preliminary to this published in a journal of peer.

More information

For more information on male breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

SOURCES: May 4, 2012, press conference with: Jon Greif, D.O., general surgeon, San Francisco; Susan k. Boolbol, MD, Chief, division of breast surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City; May 4, 2012, presentation, American Society of Breast Surgeons annual meeting, Phoenix

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

View the original article here