CANCER OF THE MALE BREAST - THE TURKISH EXPERIENCE

Twenty-six patients with male breast cancer who were admitted to the C enter of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey, between 1980 and 1988, were analyzed retrospectively. Median age was 60 years. Mos t lesions were infiltrating ductal carcinomas (92%). Of 26 lesions, 9 were staged as stage II (35%), 14 as stage III (54%), and 3 as stage I V (11%). All but five patients underwent unilateral mastectomy (81 %). Post-operative treatment consisted of radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy in 11 patients (42%), chemotherapy with or without hormo nal therapy in 4 (15%), radiation therapy alone in 10 (38%). Radiation therapy was delivered for a mean total radiation dose of 52 +/- 2 Gy (range 30-60 Gy). Chemotherapy consisted of cyclophosphamide, methotre xate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) in most patients (60%). FAC regimen (5-f luorouracil, Adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide) was given to 6 patients (40%), Six patients were known to have died of breast cancer during f ollow-up (23%). Fourteen patients were NED (no evidence of disease) at last follow-up (54%). Overall actuarial 5-year survival was calculate d to be 37%, and median actuarial survival was 46.6 months. Actuarial 5-year disease-free survival was 27%, and median actuarial disease-fre e survival was 47. 1 months. Only one patient had a local recurrence, and eight patients had 13 distant metastases (31%). Age (P = 0.023), t umor stage (P = 0.055) and nodal status (P = 0.013) were the most sign ificant prognostic factors correlated with the overall survival.