Racial differences in cancer of the male breast--15 year experience in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Characteristics of cancer of the male breast were evaluated in a population based review of 244 cases identified retrospectively through the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System (MDCSS) between 1973 and 1987. The mean age at diagnosis was 65 years and median survival time, 44 months. There were no apparent time trends in incidence for either white or black men from 1973 through 1987. Modified radical mastectomy was the most common surgical procedure, while simple and radical mastectomy declined in popularity over time. Cox's proportional hazards regression model was used to test the simultaneous effects of age, race, stage, and treatment on survival. Men older than 65 at diagnosis had a greater risk of dying than men under 65 (RR 1.52, 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.28). Survival was significantly worse for men who presented at a more advanced stage; regional versus localized (RR 2.19, 95% confidence interval, 1.39-3.45) and remote versus localized (RR 4.31, 95% confidence interval 2.26-8.23). Race had no significant effect on survival in men with breast cancer in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.