Treatments of Interest in Male Breast Cancer: An Umbrella Review.

Background

Male breast cancer (MaBC) is a rare disease and due to its rarity and the lack of specific protocols for its management, treatment algorithms are extrapolated from female breast cancer (FBC). To optimize MaBC treatment, we conceived an umbrella review with the aim of supplying an evidence-based summary of systematic reviews published about this topic in the last twenty years.

Methods

This umbrella review was performed according to a predefined protocol (PROSPERO number CRD42024574299). We performed a literature search of the PubMed and Cochrane Libraries databases and we considered systematic reviews on MaBC treatment published from 2004 to 2024. We evaluated relevant treatments in the management of MaBC, including surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic treatments. We conducted the quality assessment according to A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews version 2 (AMSTAR-2), and the description of the main findings of eligible articles.

Results

Seven systematic reviews were selected and the main findings were compiled. Breast-conserving surgery is a reasonable treatment approach and, in selected cases, equivalent in terms of safety and survival outcomes compared to mastectomy. Sentinel lymph node biopsy represents a successful surgical practice with similar accuracy compared to female cases. Adjuvant radiotherapy improves overall survival in MaBC patients following partial mastectomy and after radical mastectomy, in case of involved nodes. Finally, Tamoxifen is associated with an improvement of survival outcomes; aromatase inhibitor and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone should be used only in case of contraindications to tamoxifen.

Conclusions

Further research and improved guidelines for MaBC treatment should consider these evidence-based data.