gms | German Medical Science

27th German Cancer Congress Berlin 2006

German Cancer Society (Frankfurt/M.)

22. - 26.03.2006, Berlin

Breast Cancer- Are there differences in prognosis between males and females?

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Annelore Altendorf-Hofmann - Tumorzentrum Jena, Deutschland
  • Hubert Göbel - Tumorzentrum Erfurt
  • Reinhard Götze - Tumorzentrum Gera
  • Karin Fernschild - Tumorzentrum Nordhausen
  • Matthias Wackes - Tumorzentrum Suhl
  • Ulrike Burger - Tumorzentrum Jena
  • Ulrike Hammer - Tumorzentrum Jena

27. Deutscher Krebskongress. Berlin, 22.-26.03.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocPO076

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dkk2006/06dkk186.shtml

Published: March 20, 2006

© 2006 Altendorf-Hofmann et al.
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Outline

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Background: Male Breast Cancer is a rare disease currently admitted only by few comparative studies with female patients.

Methods: The submitted prospective, consecutive case series presents data from the five Thuringia Clinical Cancer Registers. Male Breast Cancer patients were diagnosed between 1994 and 2004. They were compared with a cohort of female Breast Cancer patients from the Clinical Cancer Register Jena diagnosed in the same period. In case of multiple Breast carcinomas, the chronological first diagnosed or in case of simultaneous occurrence the prognostic relevant carcinoma was included, respectively. Sarcomas, neuroendocrine tumours, lymphomas and random findings by autopsy were excluded. 97% of patients were followed until 12/31/2004 or until death.

Results: 87 male (median age: 65 years) and 3969 female patients (median age: 62 years)) were investigated (p=0.004). 156 multiple Breast Cancer Diseases in female and 2 in male patients were found.

The number of in-situ-carcinomas in males was half of that in females (3.4 vs. 7.9%, p=0.084). Invasive ductile carcinomas were more frequent in males (86 vs. 71%). On the other hand male patients did not have lobar carcinomas (0 vs. 17%, p=0.091). High grade carcinomas were more often detected in females (39 vs. 28%, p=0.092). In females, more tumours were diagnosed at lower stages (p<0.001).

Tumours were removed surgically in 98% of females and 97% of males. In males, mastectomy was favoured (90 vs. 47%, p<0.001). In 64% of males and females adjuvant therapy was administered. Neoadjuvant therapy was used in females, preferentially (3.6% vs. 1.1%). The median observation period for males and females was 46 and 57 months respectively (p=0.049).

5-year survival rate of all 4056 patients was 78 ± 1%. Prognosis in males was inferior (67±7%) to that of females (79±1%, p=0.0027). However, after stratification for tumour stage, no statistically significant difference was found.

Multivariate analysis of surgically removed invasive carcinomas evidenced pN, stage of tumour, method of surgery, age, grading, and adjuvant therapy as significant independent factors for monitored survival.

Conclusions: The difference in overall prognosis is due to the smaller fraction of carcinoma in situ and more tumours in stage III and IV in patients with male breast cancer. Multivariate analysis evidenced no influence of sex of the patient.