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Study: Male breast cancer: Patient and surgeon experiences

By surveying male breast cancer patients and the surgeons who treat them, researchers gained insight into the experiences of both groups, shedding light on an important issue for men with breast cancer. (Posted 12/22/22)

Este artículo está disponible en español.

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RELEVANCE

Most relevant for: Men with breast cancer.

It may also be relevant for:

  • people with a genetic mutation linked to cancer risk
  • people with a family history of cancer

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Human Research

Relevance rating details

What is this study about?

In this study, researchers used surveys to understand the surgical experiences of men with breast cancer and the breast surgeons who treat them.

Why is this study important?

Little is known about the experiences of men who are diagnosed with breast cancer. Men are often left out of clinical trials, and as a result, the management of men with breast cancer is frequently assumed to be similar to the management of women with breast cancer.

Immediate reconstruction can involve recreation of a breast mound. While common for female patients it is not typically offered to male patients. Mastectomy in men typically involves removal of the nipple. Reconstruction of the nipple would occur a few months after mastectomy if desired.

The goal of this study was to better understand the opinions and perspectives of men who were diagnosed with breast cancer, their surgical decisions for treatment, and to compare their experiences with surgeons' approaches to treatment. The findings of this study can serve as the framework to better the experience of male breast cancer patients.

Study findings

The researchers developed two surveys for this study: One for men diagnosed with breast cancer and the other for the breast surgeons who treat them. They distributed these between August and October 2020.

Using social media and patient advocate websites to look for male breast cancer survivors, the team recruited 63 men to complete the survey. Questions were based on the WhySurg study for female breast cancer survivors that asked about surgical choice and satisfaction with their decisions.

The breast surgeon survey was emailed to all members of the American Society of Breast Surgeons; 438 surgeons responded. The physician survey was designed to assess surgeons’ opinions and perspectives on surgical approaches to treating men with breast cancer.

Patient survey results
Most men had been diagnosed with 1, 2 or 3 breast cancer in the last 10 years. The average age of participants was 62 years. Among these:

  • only a few participants (5) said their surgeon recommended breast-conserving surgery.
  • most (60) had no reconstruction.

The majority of patients felt they had a choice in the decision for surgery, and felt they had enough information to make a decision. However, many patients felt uncomfortable with their appearance after surgery. The most common reasons included feeling asymmetric, self-conscious and feeling that their chest was “indented.”

Breast surgeon survey results
The survey included a case scenario that described a 66-year-old man with breast cancer. Most surgeons said they were very comfortable or somewhat comfortable recommending breast-conserving surgery to the hypothetical patient. This is in direct contrast to what patients reported, as only a few reported that their surgeons recommended breast-conserving surgery.

In contrast to breast-conserving surgery, among surgeons:

  • 20% did not routinely offer reconstruction to male mastectomy patients.
  • 22% offer reconstruction only to patients who request it.
  • 37% never offer reconstruction to men.

Importantly, just over a third of surgeons reported that they had never considered reconstruction as an option until taking the survey.

This study highlights the differences in experience and satisfaction between male breast cancer patients and the surgeons who treated them. 

Who covered this study?

General Surgery News

Male breast cancer patients often dissatisfied with post-op results This article rates 5.0 out of 5 stars

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