Male breast cancer: a review of literature

Studies have devoted relatively scant attention to male breast cancer compared with female breast cancer. Nevertheless, the incidence of male breast cancer has increased considerably in parallel manner with women. There is not comprehensive knowledge regarding the etiology of breast cancer in men. The environmental agents and genetic factors are proposed as the influential parameters in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most frequent subtype of breast cancer in men and a palpable mass is the most common presentation. Breast masses might be identified at advanced stages of the disease, if undiagnosed, due to the lower prevalence and lack of awareness in men compared to women. There is not any large sample size trial or retrospective study regarding any specific treatment strategy; the routine treatments are based on existing data. In this review, we studied the risk factors, biological characteristics, and therapeutic strategies of breast cancer in men.