AIMS AND BACKGROUND: We analyzed our own results in the treatment of male breast cancer patients with respect to local control, overall survival and possible prognostic factors for local and distant control. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with 32 carcinomas of the male breast were treated with radiotherapy. Twenty-five patients received radiotherapy to the chest wall including or not regional lymphatics after initial mastectomy (n = 23) or after surgery for local recurrence (n = 2). Median total dose was 60 Gy to the chest wall and 46 Gy to regional lymphatics. Seven patients with metastatic disease were referred for palliative radiotherapy. RESULTS: Overall survival after postoperative radiotherapy was 40% after a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Actuarial 3-, 5- and 10-year survival was 82.6%, 56.5% and 43.5%, respectively. Five-year progression-free survival was 62.5%. Survival was significantly affected by the presence of lymph node metastases (P <0.001). Local recurrence was seen in one patient after 29 months. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative radiotherapy is important in the management of male breast cancer to improve local control and progression-free survival, resulting in one local failure in our analysis. The presence of lymph node metastases significantly impairs survival.
AIMS AND BACKGROUND: We analyzed our own results in the treatment of male breast cancer patients with respect to local control, overall survival and possible prognostic factors for local and distant control. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with 32 carcinomas of the male breast were treated with radiotherapy. Twenty-five patients received radiotherapy to the chest wall including or not regional lymphatics after initial mastectomy (n = 23) or after surgery for local recurrence (n = 2). Median total dose was 60 Gy to the chest wall and 46 Gy to regional lymphatics. Seven patients with metastatic disease were referred for palliative radiotherapy. RESULTS: Overall survival after postoperative radiotherapy was 40% after a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Actuarial 3-, 5- and 10-year survival was 82.6%, 56.5% and 43.5%, respectively. Five-year progression-free survival was 62.5%. Survival was significantly affected by the presence of lymph node metastases (P <0.001). Local recurrence was seen in one patient after 29 months. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative radiotherapy is important in the management of male breast cancer to improve local control and progression-free survival, resulting in one local failure in our analysis. The presence of lymph node metastases significantly impairs survival.