Male Breast Cancer In Calabar Nigeria: A Twenty Year Experience (1983-2002)

Male breast cancer is rare worldwide. The highest incidence of 2.1 per 100,000 is recorded in Louisiana USA. The record for Africa varies from 0.2 per 100,000 in Gambia to 0.8 per 100,000 in Mali Breast cancer has been erroneously thought to be entirely a female disease in the tropics. This ignorance makes late presentation almost the rule in Nigeria as reported by authors in various part of the country. Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in Calabar. From the Calabar cancer registry record, 105 cases of breast cancer were seen in 1995 through 1998. Of these 5 patients (4.7%) were male. A review of 30 cases of male breast cancer seen in UCTH between Jan 1983 to Dec 2002 is being studied to look at the clinical presentation, histological pattern and management. They were aged 19 to 85yrs with mean of 53.1yrs. We observed two peaks at 3rd and 6th decades of life. More than 80% (25 cases) presented with painless lump and palpable axillary lymph nodes. Over 50% were on the right. Three patients also had nipples changes. Gross weight loss was associated with very advanced cases. The interval before presentation ranged from 3 to 84 months. All had mastectomy and axillary nodes dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy was also used. Diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination of removed specimen. The follow up was generally poor. However one patient survived beyond ten years. KEYWORDS: Male Breast Cancer, Calabar, Nigeria