Male Breast Cancer: Epidemiology and Risk Factors
Section snippets
1. Introduction
The breast tissues of males and females are identical from birth until puberty, when hormonal differences lead to differentiation [1]. Estrogen stimulates the growth of breast tissue while androgen antagonizes these effects. During puberty in boys, there is an increase in estrogen level and a 30-fold increase in testosterone level. This leads to a transient proliferation of the ducts and stroma followed by involution and ultimately atrophy of the ducts. Therefore, the normal male breast is
2. Epidemiology
Male breast cancer comprises <1% of all cancers in men and <1% of all breast cancers [5]. With the aging of the population, the incidence is rising [6] reaching a plateau at age 80, with a mean age at diagnosis of 63.4 years, compared with 58.2 years in women [7]. The age-standardized incidence of male breast cancer is only 1/100,000 person-years, with a lifetime risk of 1/1,000. The incidence varies greatly in different geographical areas and amongst different ethnic groups [6], with a high
3. Risk Factors
It is likely male breast cancer results from the interaction of concurrent risk factors. According to this hypothesis, genetic risk factors including a positive family history of breast cancer and mutations in breast cancer predisposing genes, such as the BRCA genes, interact with hormonal imbalances and certain environmental and occupational hazards (Table 1).
4. Conclusions
The incidence of male breast cancer is rising because of the aging of the population. Incidence varies widely across geographical areas and can reach up to 15%. The advanced stage of male breast cancer at presentation is mainly because of a lack of awareness of the disease. The first step toward awareness for patients and health workers should be education about the existence of breast cancer in men and it’s known multiple risk factors.
Many patients with prostate cancer as well as other
Conflict of Interest Statement
Dr. Ali Jad Yousef discloses no conflict of interest regarding the article (Male Breast Cancer: Epidemiology and Risk Factors).
Acknowledgment and Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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