A Ten-Year Institutional Review of Male Breast Biopsies with Radiology-Pathology Correlation

Purpose: Male breast cancer is a rare disease, constituting less than 0.25% of all breast cancers. Some risk factors for male breast cancer include a family history of breast cancer, BRCA mutations, advanced age, history of chest irradiation, Klinefelter syndrome, hyperestrogenism and liver dysfunction. Male breast cancer presents unique challenges, including a delay in diagnosis and a worse overall prognosis compared to female breast cancer, likely due to the fact that men are less likely to seek medical attention for a breast complaint at advanced stages compared to women. The purpose of this study was to identify the imaging features and determine the pathologic diagnoses of male breast cancer.

Methods/Materials: A retrospective chart review was conducted on male patients aged 18 and above who underwent breast biopsies at the University Medical Center (UMC) in El Paso, TX between March 1st, 2013 and March 1st, 2023. Data collected included imaging findings from mammograms and breast ultrasounds, as well as histopathological diagnoses.

Results: Of the 27 patients who underwent breast biopsies, 22 (81.5%) were found to have benign pathology, 1 (3.7%) had high risk pathology, 3 (11.1%) had malignant pathology and 1 (3.7%) showed metastasis.

Conclusions: Our findings revealed that the majority of cases exhibited benign pathology, emphasizing the need for a thorough understanding of the spectrum of male breast cancer. Additionally, three cases presented with malignant pathology, suggesting the significance of early detection in improving outcomes. Despite its rarity, our study emphasized the necessity for increased awareness and clinical suspicion regarding male breast cancer. Early detection through imaging modalities is important in understanding the etiology of male breast symptoms, potentially alleviating fear and trepidations that future male patients may experience when they have breast-related symptoms.