Dr. Hurvitz on Incidence of Male Breast Cancer

Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, director of the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Program and co-director of the Santa Monica University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Outpatient Hematology/Oncology Practice, as well as an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, discusses the incidence of male breast cancer in the United States.

While male breast cancer may not be common, it is not rare by any means, according to Hurvitz. Hurvitz explains that there are currently 10 to 11 male patients within her own practice who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 1% of all breast cancers that are diagnosed are men, resulting in approximately 1500 cases of male breast cancer being diagnosed annually in the United States, Hurvitz says.

These cases tend to be both diagnosed in later stage and higher grade vs female patients with breast cancer, which could be due in part to the fact that men aren't screened with mammography. Additionally, men don't always know the symptoms to look for in their chest and breast area, which could also account for why male breast cancer is often diagnosed later, Hurvitz concluded.