PROGNOSIS OF BREAST-CANCER IN MALES - AN ANALYSIS OF 170 CASES

A statistical analysis was performed on a series of 170 consecutive ca ses of operable (M(o)) breast cancer in males. All the patients underw ent surgery. The end-points considered were: (i) overall mortality, (i i) all neoplastic events and deaths without evidence of breast disease (first event). Five- and ten-year overall mortalities were 26.9 and 5 4.3%, respectively. A multiple regression analysis showed that tumour size and nodal status (pT and pN) were statistically significant as pr ognostic factors. With regard to first events, 12 local recurrences (t horacic wall), one nodal relapse in the axilla and one contralateral t umour were observed. Primary tumours, other than breast cancer, occurr ed in 11 patients. The observed probability of surviving at 10 years f rom the treatment was definitely lower than that of the general popula tion. For the follow-up periods of 0-5 and 6-10 years, the excess deat h rate per 100 man-years was 9.98 and 13.43, respectively. It appears from the analysis that prognosis of breast cancer is worse in men than in women.