Pathology
The male breast is mainly made up of rudimentary ductal elements which are encircled by stroma, adipose, and subcutaneous tissue. Lobular tissue (which is responsible for lactation in women) is not normally seen except in instances where the male is exposed to increased concentrations of oestrogen (1).
Pathology of the disease is comparable with that of female breast cancer.
- infiltrating ductal cancer is the most common tumor type - accounting for more than 93% of cancers (2)
- intraductal cancer, Inflammatory carcinoma and Paget disease of the nipple have also been seen in men (1)
- lobular carcinoma is rare (less than 2%) (2)
Male breast cancer is:
- 80% oestrogen-receptor positive
- 75% progesterone-receptor positive (3)
Reference:
- (1) National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (2012). Male Breast Cancer Treatment.
- (2) Johnson L. Diagnosis of breast cancer in male patients. Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS) 2010.
- (3) Gui, G. Male breast cancer: aetiology and clinical features. Trends in Urology & Men's Health 2012 ;3: 29–31
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