The rarity of male breast cancer creates specific challenges in studying the development and treatment of the disease. However, a recent report in Clinical Breast Cancer has provided a comprehensive analysis to determine the disease burden of male breast cancer. The study also shows an alarming uptick in male breast cancer "working aged males" (aged 15 to 64). From 1990 to 2021, the absolute global incidence and the absolute prevalence of breast cancer in men aged 15 to 64 increased by 272.2% and 283.5%, respectively. Deaths related to breast cancer among men also rose 142.5% between 1990 and 2021.
The researchers used age-standardized statistical measures, which compare groups of people while controlling for differences in age distributions. The analysis revealed that in 2021, the global age-standardized death rate was 0.22 per 100,000 men. Further, the study showed an age-standardized incidence rate of breast cancer in working-age males of 0.77 per 100,000 men. Further, for 2021 statistics, the study showed an age-standardized incidence rate of 0.77 per 100,000 men and an age-standardized prevalence rate of 6.34 per 100,000 men.
Further analyses identified an impact of red meat-rich diets on the age-standardized death rate of male breast cancer. Alcohol consumption and secondhand smoke exposure also contributed to the increased death rate among men with breast cancer. The study also revealed significant health disparities in male breast cancer. Namely, the burden of male breast cancer appeared notably higher in countries with lower sociodemographic indices.
As we come to an end of Breast Cancer Awareness month, this study shows a recently identified rise in the rate of breast cancer among males. While breast cancer occurs mostly in women, this disease also develops in men, albeit at a much lower incidence. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, one in 726 men will develop breast cancer. In comparison to the rate of breast cancer incidence in women (one in eight), male breast cancer remains relatively rare and thus does not usually gain the same degree of public or scientific attention.
Sources: Clin Br Cancer
